Legends Hall of Fame

Join us Saturday, August 30 at our PRCA Rodeo where we will be introducing and honoring our 2025 Legends Hall of Fame inductees.

Bob & Connie Lux were destined to be a Walla Walla Fair family due to their upbringing. Bob was in FFA and raised steers and Connie was in 4-H with her sewing projects and a member of Wagonettes. Their volunteerism started in 1974 when their two young daughters, Mary and Debbie, joined the Prescott Barnyard 4-H club raising market steers.

Bob ultimately became superintendent of the beef barn and was a true ambassador of the Fair, helping numerous 4-H & FFA kids as well as instrumental in providing panels for the beef show ring. If any of you are unfamiliar with the beef barn back in the mid 70’s – 80’s, the barn was filled with numerous 4-H and FFA clubs as well as open class stock. Bob, Connie and family were the first ones in the barn each morning and the last ones out after touring through to make sure all was ok before heading home for a few hours of sleep. Crazily enough, the Lux family called this their end of summer vacation, and they all loved it and looked forward to doing it all again next year.

As their family grew up and no longer in 4-H & FFA, Ed Burlingame found a new volunteer job for Bob and Connie...starting Mutton Bustin’. In 1996, with absolutely no experience or knowledge Bob & Connie started Mutton Bustin’. It took lots of people to help over the years but ultimately it was their daughter Debbie & husband Alan Hamada along with Joanna Lanning with her sheep and talented sheep dogs. In the beginning, the challenge was finding helmets. Initially the helmets were borrowed from a youth football team, but that became quite the task of running the helmets around during the day to be back for the 15-minute prelude to the rodeo each night. Ultimately, Bob & Connie purchased helmets from what was then the Ice Chalet. Bob also made ropes that helped the kids hang on because many times the sheep were not wooly enough for the kids to grab.

Bob passed away in October of 2003. It was not even a thought that Connie would stop orchestrating Mutton Bustin’. Connie was determined to continue what she and Bob had started, and she did so for 15 more years. In 2018, Connie, Debbie, Alan & Joanna all determined they would all go out at the same time and so the rodeo of 2018 was the end of a beautiful 22-year run. Part of Bob and Connie’s Walla Walla Fair legacy are two outstanding 4-H awards. The Doug & Helen Gwinn Memorial 4-H Overall Beef Showman Award and the Bob Lux Memorial 4-H Champion Market Steer Award. All in all, Bob and Connie have given 44 years of Walla Walla Fair volunteerism. The Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days Board of Directors is proud to welcome Bob and Connie Lux to the 2025 Fair Legends Hall of Fame.

Lynn Parsons has been involved with the Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days since childhood. His mother, Betty, was on the fair court in 1946 and his father, Don, had a long-time involvement with the fair and rodeo as well.

Lynn was very active as a junior rodeo competitor in his youth through his high school and college rodeo years. Rodeo at the Walla Walla Fair started for Lynn in ‘79 and ‘80 in the calf roping and team roping for a few years in the mid ‘80’s.

Team roping career highlights include qualifying for and attending the United States Team Roping Championships in 1993 and 2000 - the first time in Guthrie, Oklahoma in ‘93 with long-time friend Bill Meek. Lynn also qualified for the ACTRA finals in 2016, ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, and ‘24 - winning saddles in 2017 and 2018 for the Northwest ACTRA finals. In 2018 Lynn won a World Series Team Roping in Ellensburg, WA.

Lynn began helping with the Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days rodeo volunteering his time to help with the slack almost every year since 2011. He also began helping to mentor and instruct young rodeo up-and-comers for the Walla Walla Cowboy Church Rodeo Bible Camp in 2016. Helping to coach and develop college level and future rodeo competitors has also been a rewarding part of the journey for Lynn.

Lynn credits the encouragement of his team roping career, honing his team roping skills, and many years of friendship to his father, Don Parsons, Kenny Frazier, and long-time friend Troy Frazier - who are all past Legends of The Rodeo inductees.

The Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days Board of Directors is proud to welcome Lynn Parsons to the 2025 Rodeo Legends Hall of Fame.

This award began in 2008 to honor the Cowboys and Cowgirls of our valley who have participated as a contestant in the Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days arena, exemplified the "cowboy way of life" and had the courage and stamina to blaze a trail for future generations. In 2023 we included Fair Legends to honor those who have been active participants involved in the Fair.

Bob Tallman
John Growney
Sonny Hansen