Four Cariboo Chilcotin ranching and rodeo cornerstones will be enshrined in this year’s 2020 class of the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame. The 2020 inductees were announced recently by the BC Cowboy Heritage Society and include:
• Frank Armes (Ranching Pioneer)
• Allison Everett (Builder of Western Culture)
• Chilancoh Ranch and the Bayliff family (Century Ranch and Ranching Pioneer)
• Paul ‘Buck’ Mammel (Working Cowboy and Ranching Pioneer)
Everett and Armes were scheduled to be inducted Friday, March 20 at the Kamloops Cowboy Festival, while the Chilancoh Ranch and the Bayliff family, along with Paul ‘Buck’ Mammel, were slated to be inducted on April 19 at the Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, both the Kamloops Cowboy Festival and the Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo were forced to cancel for 2020.
Nominations for acceptance into the hall of fame go to the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin in Williams Lake, which is home to the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees memorabilia at its location at the Tourism Discovery Centre.
Paul “Buck” Mammel
2020 BC Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee – Working Cowboy & Ranching Pioneer
Paul “Buck” Mammel was born in 1920 in Romania. The family immigrated to Canada in 1929 and settled in Alberta. In 1936 they moved to Sardis and became dairy farmers.
In 1939 Buck left home and headed to Ashcroft for a job at the Ashcroft Ranch and then moved on to Williams Lake. His first cowboy job was at the Chilco Ranch in 1939 and in 1940 he went to Alkali Lake Ranch.
From 1941 to 1943 Paul was in the army but returned to Alkali Lake Ranch. Over the next couple of years, he worked at various ranches including the Gang and Becher’s.
Buck also spent time on the rodeo circuit which earned him a reputation as a good all-around cowboy. He rode in the Williams Lake Stampede in saddle bronc in 1946, and won all-around cowboy at the Riske Creek Stampede.
Buck also competed at the Calgary Stampede as an outrider for the Alkali Lake chuckwagon team. In the early 1950’s Buck went to work in the logging industry to earn money for his own ranch.
Read More: Rose Lake 4-H Club: Meet our club members and projects for 61st annual 4-H Show and Sale
In 1959 alongside his wife Margaret they purchased the Pioneer Ranch at the Miocene, and in 1969 they purchased the Poole Ranch at Rose Lake.
In 1973 Buck and his wife sold the Pioneer Ranch known for a quality commercial Angus herd.
They sired may grand champions at shows including 4-H.
In semi-retirement Buck began purchasing steers in the spring and selling them in the fall. He was offered a job by Canada Packers to be their head buyer in B.C., and Douglas Lake Ranch offered him a position as head cowboss, all of which he turned down as he loved his life in the Cariboo.
He was involved in the Rose Lake Miocene 4-H Club, as well as the community. He was also involved with the Cariboo Chilcotin Rodeo Association and sponsored best all-around cowboy.
He was President of the Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association and a director for the BC Cattlemen’s Association, and Co-op Association. Buck died in 1996.
To date some of the family property is still in the family through his sons Jim and Cody. Buck was known as a man who held the spirit and life of a cowboy. His word and handshake were his honour.
Do you have a comment about this story? email:
editor@wltribune.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
