St. Paul Rodeo will induct 6 into its Hall of Fame
Published 5:00 am Thursday, May 22, 2025
The daughter of rodeo pioneers Maurice and Mae Smith, the late Margaret McKillip was one of five daughters and one son who grew up helping out at the rodeo.
Kevin Smith got an early start working at the rodeo, at the age of 6 answering calls about the rodeo from his boyhood home in St. Paul.
JJ Harrison is one of the most visible faces of the rodeo, entertaining the crowd from within the arena for the past 12 years.
Mary Jane Krier has been involved with the rodeo since she was a child, tagging along with her parents, who were members of the rodeo association, and following in the footsteps of her step-grandfather, who was on the board in the 1940s.
The father/son duo of Lewis Feild and Kaycee Feild won 11 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association world titles.
The father/son duo of Lewis Feild and Kaycee Feild won 11 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association world titles
Although residents of the tiny northeast Oregon town of Joseph, the Turners had long had ties to the rodeo. Darlene Turner's father was contractor Harley Tucker, who provided stock for the rodeo in the 1940s and 1950s.
Barbecue honoring the inductees set for June 30 at the rodeo grounds
A half-dozen individuals will see their names enshrined in the St. Paul Rodeo’s Hall of Fame in June.
The inductees include longtime rodeo director Kevin Smith; rodeo association members Mary Jane and David Krier as well as Margaret McKillip; Dave and Darlene Turner (listed under the “notables” category of inductees); rodeo clown JJ Harrison (among the contract personnel category); and cowboys Lewis and Kaycee Feild.
Kevin Smith
Smith got an early start working at the rodeo, at the age of 6 answering calls about the rodeo from his boyhood home in St. Paul.
The rodeo number was “St. Paul 393, and I’ll never forget running to the phone to answer those calls,” he recalled.
Smith was born into the rodeo family as the son of Gene and Pat Smith, pioneers in the formation of the annual Fourth of July spectacle. In fact, Kevin Smith has missed attending the event only once since he was born in 1953, three days before the event commenced.
Smith’s volunteer work with the rodeo actually started as a member of the local Jaycees Club, the service organization that has handled beer and food sales at the rodeo for decades.
He worked with the Jaycees for 12 years, became a rodeo member in 1989 and volunteered in various positions for 13 years as a gate man, usher and in concessions before voted onto the board of directors in 2003. He served there until retiring in 2024 and was president of the organization for two years and secretary for many years as well.
Despite his retirement, Smith remains involved with the rodeo as chairman of the scholarship and Hall of Fame committees. He is also the rodeo’s official historian and serves on the board of the rodeo foundation.
Smith has been known to say that life in St. Paul revolves around “two Christmases – the real one and Cowboy Christmas. Everything builds up to rodeo, then it’s a downer, but thankfully we’re farmers so we have harvest coming up after rodeo.”
David and Mary Jane Krier
Mary Jane Krier has been involved with the rodeo since she was a child, tagging along with her parents, who were members of the rodeo association, and following in the footsteps of her step-grandfather, who was on the board in the 1940s.
The Kriers have been involved with the rodeo since the 1980s, working on the queen and court committee, the Wild West Art Show committee, the Hall of Fame Tent committee and, most recently, the Trading Post committee. She also serves on the membership development committee and was the 1969 St. Paul Rodeo queen.
David Krier served as the rodeo’s doctor for years, helping behind the chutes with injured cowboys. He worked with the Justin Sports Medicine program, attending its conferences during the National Finals Rodeo.
Being at the rodeo over Independence Day is second nature for the couple. “We don’t know what else we’d do with the Fourth of July week,” Mary Jane Krier quipped.
Margaret McKillip
The daughter of rodeo pioneers Maurice and Mae Smith, the late Margaret McKillip was one of five daughters and one son who grew up helping out at the rodeo.
She served as a rodeo princess in 1951 and was named queen the following year.
Her and her husband, Ted McKillip, were active in helping with the luncheons during the rodeo’s annual trail ride, photographed candidates for rodeo royalty and volunteered in myriad ways at the rodeo.
However, rodeo officials said her greatest contribution to the cause was joining with her husband in creating the cowboy bar that later became known as the Tack Room in 1972. The popular watering hole is situated beneath the southwest corner of the grandstand and has been a favorite with rodeo-goers for more than 50 years.
“Ted had the ideas and mom always supported anything he came up with,” daughter Shelly Bernhardt said.
Dave and Darlene Turner
Although residents of the tiny northeast Oregon town of Joseph, the Turners had long had ties to the rodeo. Darlene Turner’s father was contractor Harley Tucker, who provided stock for the rodeo in the 1940s and 1950s.
Darlene Turner often attended the rodeo with her parents, and when she and her late husband were chaperones for the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo court, they came to St. Paul with the queens and princesses. For years, he was in charge of the Chief Joseph Days stagecoach, which is part of the St. Paul Rodeo grand entry.
St. Paul often reciprocated, sending its royal court to the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo, and the Turners often hosted horses and their owners in trailers and campers in their yard in Joseph.
“The hospitality went both ways,” Darlene Turner said.
JJ Harrison
Harrison is one of the most visible faces of the rodeo, entertaining the crowd from within the arena for the past 12 years.
The Walla Walla, Washington, native said he felt right at home the first time he performed in St. Paul.
“I love it! St. Paul just has so many facets to it that make it special to me and my family,” he said, adding that he enjoys engaging with fans from Portland that may never have been to a rodeo before. “They’re not die-hard rodeo fans. They want to learn about our culture and what we do, and I love that. It lets me connect with a lot of new people.”
Harrison said he was pleased to be inducted in the Hall of Fame alongside former rodeo director Kevin Smith.
“The fact that I’m going in with Kevin is special to me, because that’s the guy who hired me,” he said. “I still have the pen I signed the first contract with. It was a big deal for me to get this rodeo.”
Lewis and Kaycee Feild
The father/son duo of Lewis Feild and Kaycee Feild won 11 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association world titles – Lewis, who died in 2006, with five (all-around 1985-1987 and bareback 1985-86) and Kaycee with six (bareback 2011-14 and 2020-21).
Both men competed in St. Paul numerous times, with Kaycee Feild winning the rodeo in 2022 and tying for the win in 2009. He was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2024. Lewis Feild was inducted in 1992.
Barbecue will honor inductees
The Hall of Fame barbecue honoring the Class of 2025 will begin at 5 p.m. June 30 at the rodeo grounds. In addition to a tasty meal, the event will feature live and silent auctions, with the proceeds benefitting the Austin Smith Foundation.
Tickets for the barbecue are $60 and must be purchased in advance at StPaulRodeo.com.
