Lewis Feild

'''Lewis Feild''' (October 28, 1956{{spnd}}February 15, 2016) was an American professional rodeo cowboy. He specialized in bareback bronc riding and saddle bronc riding and competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit. He was the All-Around World Champion from 1985 to 1987 at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). He was also the Bareback Riding World Champion from 1985 to 1986. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame inducted him in 1992 in the all-around category.

==Early life== He was born on October 28, 1956, to Keith and True Feild in Peoa, Utah.<ref name="roping" /> He was of British and Scandinavian descent.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} Feild was raised near Peoa in the Kamas Valley, where Feild saw his first rodeo. "It was the most exciting thing I had ever seen, to watch those cowboys stay on those broncs. It was love at first sight," said Feild. Feild started riding calves after that, which he did at his parents' ranch in Peoa. It was in Ogden at the Golden Spike Rodeo where he rode his first bucking horse. "It was a junior rodeo and it was not a full-sized horse, but it bucked and I stayed on. They gave me a buckle for an award ... first thing I ever won."<ref name="prorodeo">{{Cite news|url=https://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/all-around/lewis-feild/|title=Lewis Feild|website=ProRodeo Hall of Fame|access-date=April 11, 2017}}</ref><ref name="NewFeild"/>

When he grew older, he attended college. With the assistance of an intercollegiate rodeo scholarship, he attended Utah Valley Community College, now known as Utah Valley University, and Weber State University.<ref name="prorodeo" /> At Utah Valley University, he qualified for the National High School Finals Rodeo three times.<ref name="Deseret" /> He also earned three National Finals appearances.<ref name="Deseret">{{cite web|last1=Donaldson|first1=Amy|title=Five-time rodeo world champion Lewis Feild was a cowboy until the end|url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865647878/Five-time-rodeo-world-champion-Louis-Feild-was-a-cowboy-until-the-end.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218091646/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865647878/Five-time-rodeo-world-champion-Louis-Feild-was-a-cowboy-until-the-end.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 18, 2016|website=Deseret News|access-date=January 5, 2018|date=February 16, 2016}}</ref> Then, in 1980, with some assistance from friends, he turned professional.<ref name="Deseret" />

==Career== Feild competed on the PRCA rodeo circuit throughout his professional rodeo career.<ref name="prorodeo" /> He was the All-Around World Champion from 1985 to 1987, and the Bareback Riding World Champion from 1985 to 1986 at the NFR.<ref name="PRCARecords">''ProRodeo Records and Stats'', p. 297-298.</ref> He won the NFR All-Around Average from 1986 to 1988.<ref name="WranglerNFR">''Wrangler NFR'', p. 373.</ref> He won the NFR Average in Bareback Riding in 1984 and 1986.<ref name="WranglerNFR"/> Feild became the first rough-stock cowboy since Larry Mahan to earn all-around world titles since 1973.<ref name="Deseret" /> In 1980, he was the PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year.<ref name="Deseret" /><ref name="PRCAAwards2">''PRCA Awards'', p. 625.</ref>

In the years 1981, 1988, and 1991, Feild won the Linderman Award.<ref name="PRCAAwards">''PRCA Awards'', p. 623.</ref> This award is given to the cowboy who works both ends of the arena (this means timed events on one side and rough-stock on the other side) and has the highest earnings. Feild was also an established team roper.<ref name="NewFeild" />

In 1987, Feild took the record for single-season earnings in the bareback bronc event to $114,657. In that same year, he also set a new single rodeo earnings record of $75,219. He held the record for single-season arena earnings until 1986 until Ty Murray set a new record of $213,771.<ref name="NewFeild">{{cite web|url=https://westernhorseman.com/culture/flashbacks/flashback-new-field-for-feild/|title=Flashback: New Field for Feild|website=Western Horseman|date=February 26, 2016 |access-date=January 5, 2018}}</ref> In 1990, Feild was the first rough-stock contestant to win more than $1 million in his career in the PRCA.<ref name="roping">{{Cite news|url=http://wstroping.com/article-1130-lewis-feild:-1956-%E2%80%93-2016.html|title=Lewis Feild: 1956 – 2016|access-date=April 21, 2017|archive-date=January 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104192328/http://wstroping.com/article-1130-lewis-feild:-1956-%E2%80%93-2016.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="NewFeild" /> He was the third cowboy to do it at any level.<ref name="roping" /> Tom Ferguson did it first and Roy Cooper did it second.<ref name="roping" />

According to many personnel, Feild was a staple at the Ogden Pioneer Days rodeo in Ogden, Utah, for as long as they can remember. The committee made him the focus of an opening act which lasted around 10 years up until his death. He was such an icon to the rodeo that it inducted him into its Utah Cowboy Hall of Fame. It also recognized him as the Utah County honoree for the National Day of the American Cowboy. Each of these two honors were awarded to Feild inaugurally in Ogden.<ref name="Ogden">{{cite web|title=Cowboy legend Lewis Feild remembered for contributions to Ogden rodeo|url=http://www.standard.net/Local/2016/02/16/Lewis-Feild-remembered-for-local-contributions-to-rodeo|website=Standard-Examiner|access-date=January 5, 2018|archive-date=January 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106070412/http://www.standard.net/Local/2016/02/16/Lewis-Feild-remembered-for-local-contributions-to-rodeo|url-status=dead}}</ref>

"Someday, when rodeo people look back at what I've done, I'd like them to say these things: that I rode tough; I could ride with pain and courage; that I was a fierce competitor in the arena, but a quiet, respectable man outside the gate. I just want to be remembered as a cowboy," said the soft-spoken champion. "That probably says it all."<ref name="NewFeild" />

==Personal life== He coached the UVSC rodeo team and lived in Elk Ridge, Utah, with his wife Veronica.<ref name="roping" /> They had three children and thirteen grandchildren.<ref name="roping" />

==Death and legacy== Feild died on February 15, 2016, in Elk Ridge, Utah, at the age of 59 after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ksl.com/?sid=38524508&nid=765&title=world-rodeo-legend-lewis-feild-of-utah-dies-of-pancreatic-cancer|title=World rodeo legend Lewis Feild of Utah dies of pancreatic cancer|date=February 13, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="NewFeild" /> His son Kaycee Feild won six World Bareback Bronc Champion titles at the NFR from 2011 to 2014 and 2020 to 2021. He also has won four NFR Average titles.<ref name="mcdaniel">{{citation|last=McDaniel|first=Jason|title=Kaycee Feild's championship win an homage to his rodeo-legend father|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|location=Houston, TX|date=March 19, 2016|url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/rodeo/article/Kaycee-Feild-s-championship-win-an-homage-to-his-6924223.php|access-date=March 31, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kaycee Feild |url=https://prorodeo.com/bio/contestant/kaycee-feild/21408 |website=Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association |access-date=August 11, 2021}}</ref>

==Awards== * 1980 Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year<ref name="PRCAAwards2">''PRCA Awards'', p. 625.</ref> * 1981, 1988 Linderman Award<ref name="PRCAAwards">''PRCA Awards'', p. 623.</ref> * 1986-1988 NFR All-Around Average Champion<ref name="WranglerNFR"/> * 1984, 1986 NFR Bareback Riding Average Champion<ref name="WranglerNFR"/> * 1985-1987 PRCA All-Around World Champion<ref name="PRCARecords"/> * 1985-1986 PRCA Bareback Riding World Champion<ref name="PRCARecords"/><ref name="NewFeild" /> ==Honors== * 1985 Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum<ref>{{cite web |title=Lewis Feild {{!}} Rodeo Hall of Fame|url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/rodeo-hall-of-fame/5136/ |website=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum |access-date=November 25, 2019}}</ref> * 1992 ProRodeo Hall of Fame<ref name="prorodeo" /> * 1997 Utah Sports Hall of Fame, 2nd inducted after Earl Bascom<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.utahsportshalloffame.org/honorees/|title=Honorees|website=Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation|access-date=April 21, 2017}}</ref> * 2012 Utah Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum<ref>{{cite web|url=http://utahcowboymuseum.org/nominations/hall-of-fame-inductees/|title=Hall of Fame Inductees - Lewis Feilds|website=Utah Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum|publisher=utahcowboymuseum.org|access-date=January 3, 2018}}</ref> * 2015 Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rounduphalloffame.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/hof-inductess-1969-present.pdf|title=Lewis Feild|website=Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame|access-date=January 2, 2018}}</ref> * 2017 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=May 17, 2017|archive-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728201948/http://www.molallachamber.com/pages/WalkofFame|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2018 PBR Ty Murray Top Hand Award<ref>{{cite web|title=Ty Murray Top Hand Award|url=https://pbr.com/heroes-legends#ty|website=Professional Bull Riders|access-date=August 19, 2023}}</ref> * The Lewis Feild Bareback Riding Award is administered by the Utah Sports Commission.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stateofsportawards.com/|title=Governor's State of Sport Awards|website=Utah State Sports Commission|publisher=stateofsportawards.com|access-date=January 3, 2018|archive-date=October 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002065529/http://stateofsportawards.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> * Listed in the 50 greatest sports figures of the century from each of the 50 states.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1999/12/27/the-master-list-the-50-greatest-sports-figures-of-the-century-from-each-of-the-50-states | title=The 50 greatest sports figures of the century from each of the 50 states | newspaper=Sports Illustrated Vault | Si.com }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources== *[http://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/by-category/all-around/lewis-feild/ Biography on the ProRodeo Hall of Fame's website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618215503/http://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/by-category/all-around/lewis-feild/ |date=June 18, 2019 }} *{{cite book|title=ProRodeo Records and Stats|date=2017|publisher=Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association|pages=297–298|format=PDF|url=http://www.prorodeo.com/Resources/media-guide/section4/mobile/index.html#p=31|access-date=January 5, 2018}} *{{cite book|title=Wrangler NFR|date=2017|publisher=Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association|pages=373|format=PDF|url=http://www.prorodeo.com/Resources/media-guide/section5/mobile/index.html#p=9|access-date=January 5, 2018}} *{{cite book|title=PRCAAwards|date=2017|publisher=Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association|pages=623|format=PDF|url=http://www.prorodeo.com/Resources/media-guide/section12/mobile/index.html#p=21|access-date=January 5, 2018}} *{{cite book|title=PRCAAwards|date=2017|publisher=Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association|pages=625|format=PDF|url=http://www.prorodeo.com/Resources/media-guide/section12/mobile/index.html#p=24|access-date=January 5, 2018}}

==External links== * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLGZLgo-__o Lewis Feild by KSL Sports] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsicdmPw4wo Lewis Feild Re-ride Story, Rodeo Weekend 2011 by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2OM8yg_ubc In Loving Memory of Lewis Keith Feild] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFF_Q5BBWsA Kaycee and Lewis Feild, Father and Son; Champions!]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Feild, Lewis}} Category:Bareback bronc riders Category:1956 births Category:2016 deaths Category:People from Summit County, Utah Category:Sportspeople from Utah County, Utah Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Utah Category:ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees Category:All-Around Category:Roping (rodeo) Category:Sportspeople from Utah Category:Professional Bull Riders: Heroes and Legends