2016 Person of the Year: Sanford Deal

Thank you for honoring me in this manner. You have no idea how great it feels to be appreciated. I graduated from Ft. Pierre High School and went on to Huron College for two years. Since then I’ve worked a number of jobs. I’ve driven truck for a lot of years, fought bulls, worked at sale barns, worked for a veterinarian, and worked for a lot of different rodeo stock contractors. A few of the stock contractors I work for right now are Frontier Rodeo out of Freedom, OK: Powder River Rodeo, and Sutton Rodeo. In the fall and winter, I have been working for Veterinarian, Lynn Stadheim at Ft. Pierre Livestock. For several years, I put on the Isabel Rodeo and one of those years, I was in the Old Man’s Breakaway, rode a bull, fought bulls, and team roped!
I’ve gotten to be part of many great rodeos including the High School Finals, College Finals, NFR, and many, many others.
In between my “regular” jobs, I have been able to help at the High School Rodeo Finals. I think I’ve been involved nearly every year since 1998; I’ve gone through 4-5 Presidents. I have had lots of family involved in High School Rodeo and it is usually a family event that I look forward to every year, especially the story-telling that goes on in-between rounds.
I got married on September 26, 2015, to Rhonda Miller. Rhonda and I live at Fruitdale, near Belle Fourche. I look forward to having parents, siblings and kids, wife, daughter, grandson, and in-laws joining me this year at the finals.
Thank you again, and I hope I can continue to be part of the High School Rodeo Association for many years to come.