{{short description|American bull rider}} '''Donald''' "'''Donnie'''" '''Gay''' (born September 18, 1953) is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He won eight Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding world championships; a record as of 2025. His father, Neal Gay, was a well-known rodeo competitor and later rodeo producer and stock contractor. Don was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979; Neal was inducted in 1993. In 2015, Don was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.
==Early life== Don Gay was born on September 18, 1953, in Mesquite, Texas, to Neal Gay and Evelyn "Cookie" Foster.<ref name="donfame">{{cite web|url=https://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/bull-riding/don-gay/|title=Don Gay - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|website=Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|access-date=4 December 2016}}</ref> He was only a year old when his mother died of leukemia. Don's father then married Kay Gay, who raised Don and his brother Pete as her own. Don grew up in Mesquite, Texas, and started competing in rodeos at age six. His father ran the Mesquite Rodeo, which still operates today. He used Mesquite to perfect his skills on both bulls and broncs.<ref name=Wisdom/> He attended Mesquite High School.
==Rodeo career== Gay received his PRCA permit shortly after graduating from high school and began traveling the rodeo circuit.<ref name="Wisdom">[http://newsok.com/article/3326059 "Collected Wisdom: Donnie Gay"], November 30, 2008, accessed March 31, 2010</ref> He soon received his pilot's license and began flying himself to rodeo events in a private plane.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/12/us/rodeo-new-style-boxes-for-10000.html |title=RODEO, NEW STYLE: BOXES FOR $10,000 |last=Applebome |first=Peter|date=12 February 1986 |access-date=13 November 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> He won almost every major rodeo in the United States at some point during his career. He won the first of eight world titles in 1974. He went on to win in 1975, 1976, and 1977. He also won the NFR bull riding average title in 1976. His next four world titles came in 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1984. The record of eight world titles in bull riding still stands.<ref name="donfame" /><ref name="donring">{{cite web |url=https://pbr.com/athletes/heroes-legends/#RingofHonor |title=Professional Bull Riders - Ring of Honor: Donnie Gay |website=Professional Bull Riders |access-date=4 December 2016}}</ref> He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) 13 times (1972 to 1982, then 1984 and 1985). Gay officially retired from professional rodeo in 1989.<ref name="contrib">{{cite web |url=http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2008/Jun/21/famed-bullrider-don-gay-still-big-part-rodeo/|title=Famed bullrider Don Gay still a big part of rodeo |website=TimesRecordNews |access-date=4 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905021659/http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2008/jun/21/famed-bullrider-don-gay-still-big-part-rodeo/ |archive-date=September 5, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Post-rodeo career== From 1989 to 1996, Gay was a stock contractor as the owner of All-Star Rodeo, providing livestock to professional rodeos and bull riding events across the United States. Since 2002, he has been the general manager for Frontier Rodeo Company. He also does live announcing at a number of rodeos. He has also provided commentary for televised rodeo and bull riding events.<ref name="Frontier">{{cite web |title=Don Gay |url=https://frontierrodeocompany.com/staff.php |website=Frontier Rodeo Company |publisher=frontierrodeocompany.com |access-date=December 7, 2018 |archive-date=December 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209165223/https://frontierrodeocompany.com/staff.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>
From the 1980s through 2000s, Gay was a commentator for the Mesquite Championship Rodeo when the weekly event was televised. Around the same time, he was also a commentator for other televised regular-season PRCA rodeos.
He also provided commentary for * Professional Bull Riders events on TNN from 1993 through 2001,<ref name="Frontier" /> * PRCA Xtreme Bulls events on ESPN from 2003 through 2010 and Great American Country (GAC) from 2011 through 2013, * Toughest Cowboy on Fox Sports Networks (FSN) in 2007 and 2008, * Championship Bull Riding events on GAC in 2009 and 2010,<ref name="Frontier" /> * the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour (TBHRT) on The Cowboy Channel in 2018,<ref>{{cite web |title=8-Time World Champion Don Gay Joins El Paso THBRT Broadcast Team |url=https://www.tuffhedemanbullriding.com/news/2018/9/5/8-time-world-champion-don-gay-joins-el-paso-thbrt-broadcast |website=Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding |date=September 5, 2018 |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> * the bull riding during the live telecasts of the National Finals Rodeo each December from 2003 through 2017 and again since 2020 .<ref>{{cite web |title=Lubbock gets look at 4-time world champion Sage Kimzey |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20180329/lubbock-gets-look-at-4-time-world-champion-sage-kimzey |website=Lubbock Avalanche |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref>
Starting in 2011, Gay began running his own semi-professional bull riding organization, the Don Gay Bull Riding Tour, which sanctioned events in some southern U.S. states. In 2016, this organization was renamed the Rank Bull Rider Tour.<ref name="rankrider">{{cite web|title=Rank Bull Rider Tour|url=https://www.facebook.com/dgbullriding/photos/a.485299124904871.1073741828.483897561711694/744133729021408/?type=3|website=www.facebook.com|access-date=14 August 2017}}</ref> After its 2017 finals event, the Rank Bull Rider Tour became defunct.<ref name="rankrider"/>
==Legacy== Don was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979; his father Neal was inducted in 1993.<ref name="MCR">{{cite web|url=http://www.mesquiterodeo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98:mcr-history-90s&catid=78:about-mcr&Itemid=1 |title=MCR History 90's |website=Mesquite Championship Rodeo |access-date=4 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809141459/http://www.mesquiteprorodeo.com/about-mcr/mcr-history-90-s |archive-date=August 9, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="prorodeo">{{cite web |url=https://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/stock-contractors/neal-gay/ |title=Neal Gay - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame |website=Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame |access-date=4 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="donfame" /><ref name="contrib" /> In 1997, he received the PBR Ring of Honor.<ref name="donring" /> In 2015, Don was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.<ref name="bullfame">{{cite web |url=http://www.the-bull-riding-hall-of-fame.com/the-bull-riders.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306014856/http://www.the-bull-riding-hall-of-fame.com/the-bull-riders.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 6, 2013 |title=The Bull Riders - Class of 2015 |website=The Bull Riding Hall of Fame |access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> In 2007, Gay was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame<ref name="texasrodeocowboy.com">{{Cite web |url=https://texasrodeocowboy.com/inductees/?orderby=title&order=ASC |title=Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame: Past Inductees |website=www.texasrodeocowboy.com |access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> along with his brothers Pete and Jim.<ref name="TRCHofF">[http://www.texasrodeocowboy.com/past_inductees.html Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816234917/http://www.texasrodeocowboy.com/past_inductees.html |date=August 16, 2017 }}, accessed December 4, 2016</ref> In 2006, the ProRodeo Hall of Fame created the Legends of ProRodeo award which is awarded annually. Both Don and his father Neal have received this award.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=http://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/legends-of-prorodeo/|title=Legends of ProRodeo - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|work=Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> Don received it in 2013, and Neal received it in 2016. The award is given to individuals who have retired from participating in the sport of rodeo but have tirelessly continued to contribute to the sport afterwards.<ref name="Legends">{{cite web|url=https://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/legends-of-prorodeo/|title=Legends of ProRodeo - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|website=Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|access-date=4 December 2016}}</ref>
==Honors== * 1979 ProRodeo Hall of Fame<ref name="prorodeo" /> * 1996 Texas Sports Hall of Fame<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tshofinductees.org/product-page/don-gay|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608234917/https://www.tshofinductees.org/product-page/don-gay|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 8, 2019|title=Texas Sports Hall of Fame: Texas Sports Hall of Fame|website=www.tshof.org|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> * 1997 PBR Ring of Honor<ref>{{cite web|title=PBR Ring of Honor|url=https://pbr.com/heroes-legends#ring|website=Professional Bull Riders|access-date=August 18, 2023}}</ref> * 2000 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tchof.com/post/don-gay|title=Don Gay|date=November 20, 2000 |publisher=Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame {{!}} Fort Worth Texas|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> * 2007 Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame<ref name="texasrodeocowboy.com"/> * 2008 Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum<ref>{{cite web|title=Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductees|url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/rodeo-hall-of-fame/5334/|website=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum|access-date=5 June 2017}}</ref> * 2013 Legends of ProRodeo<ref name=":0" /> * 2015 Molalla Walk of Fame<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.molallachamber.com/pages/WalkofFame|title=Walk of Fame - Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce,OR|website=www.molallachamber.com|access-date=17 May 2017|archive-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728201948/http://www.molallachamber.com/pages/WalkofFame|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2015 Bull Riding Hall of Fame<ref>{{cite web|title=Bull Riding Hall of Fame inductees|url=https://thebullridinghof.com/pages/inductee-list|website=Bull Riding Hall of Fame|access-date=August 19, 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [http://www.prorodeo.com/ Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association] - Official website * [http://www.MesquiteRodeo.com/ Mesquite Championship Rodeo] - Official website * [http://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/ ProRodeo Hall of Fame] - Official website * [http://www.pbr.com/ Professional Bull Riders, Inc.] - Official website * [http://www.texasrodeocowboy.com Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame] - Official website * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100223051408/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125893/index.htm "No Guts, No Glory"], September 6, 1982, accessed December 3, 2016 * [http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Sports/Don-Gay-Bull-Riding-Champion-280897.html Don Gay: Bull Riding Champion Quiz] accessed December 3, 2016 * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1xsTutv3h0 "Rodeo Classics" - Donny Gay Maestro Gaxiola] accessed December 3, 2016
{{Authority Control}} {{Use American English|date=May 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gay, Don}} Category:1953 births Category:American color commentators Category:Bull riders Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Mesquite, Texas Category:Professional Bull Riders: Heroes and Legends Category:ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees Category:Rodeo announcers Category:Bull Riding Hall of Fame inductees