AVRM Chairman, Bill Rawlings was invited to meet with AV Fair Association CEO Dan Jacobs, Deputy Manager Debbie Smith, and artist Renato de Guia to begin plans for a new 10,000 square foot building to house the AVRM at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds.  Below is the first preliminary drawing created that day.

April 10, 2012

AVRM Chairman Bill Rawlings and Board Member Sheila Sola met with Renato de Guia at his studio to discuss the new home for the AVRM.  A second drawing was created at that time to reflect the changes requested by the Executive Board of the AVRM

March 5, 2012

John and Linda Stivers of Tehachepi, Ca have donated this 1947 Diamond T truck to the AVRM.  John purchased the truck several years ago from Art Ripley, a Westside Lancaster rancher.  The truck was then professionally restored by another well known local man, Al Coltzau.  This beautiful truck is going to be a wonderful addition to our museum.

THANK YOU JOHN AND LINDA.

Pictured below are; Jeff Godde, Tom Hall, and Bruce Yates receiving their Golden Hay Hook Awards at the fair kickoff dinner.  Inductees not pictured are Terry Rice, Gonzalo Rodriguez, and Marleen Griffin.

Jeff Godde

Jeff joined the committee in 1976 as a runner and has been on the committee since.  He has competed in the sickle bar competition continuously since 1973, winning 7 times, and finishing in the top three 23 times.  Jeff has competed in 9 different events.  He was also awarded the Western Fairs Association Blue Ribbon Award in 2002.

Marleen Griffin

Marleen competed in the Women’s tractor Stake Race from 1977-2006, winning 12 times and placing in the top three on 23 occasions.  She competed in the Model T Race several years, and last raced in the Antique Auto Potato Race in 2008.

Tom Hall

Tom first participated in the Rural Olympics in the Model T Race and Antique Auto Potato Race in 1964.  His last appearance was in 1989 with his son Randy when they set the record time in the Model T Race.  That record was never broken.  In his 16 appearances in the T Race he won 7 times and finished in the top three 11 times.

Terry Rice

Terry raced in the Potato Race with his brother Gary from 1969-1981.  His real claim to fame, however, comes from the Men’s Tractor Stake Race with Sickle Bar, which he has competed in since 1984.  He was the winner in that race 15 times and holds the current record time.  He has also excelled in the Antique Tractor Race, the Tug of War, and the Tractor Barrel Race.  Terry has as many as 33 first place trophies in his collection.

Gonzalo Rodriguez

From 1976-2003 Gonzalo competed in the Hay Loading with Mechanical Field Loader. He was champion 15 times during that period, and finished in the top three 22 times.  On three different occasions when the race course or rules had changed he set a new record.

Bruce Yates

Bruce has been a fan favorite for the past thirty years, since he first entered the Gravel Truck and Transfer in 1981.  He has placed first 13 times and in the top thee 25 times.  Bruce has also competed in the Truck and Trailer Backing as well as the Potato race.  Bruce has also been a valuable asset on the Rural Olympics committee since 1981.  He was also awarded the Western Fairs Association Blue Ribbon Award in 2010.

 In 2010 our exhibit included displays on loan and set up by the Rusty Relics, the Lancaster Museum and Art Gallery, and the Borax Mine Visitor Center.

 So far for 2011 we will add displays by the AV Indian Museum, the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum from EAFB.  The Antique Automobile Club of America, AV Region has taken on the restoration of the Simi Hay Loader.

 We invite and encourage any interested parties to contact us with ideas for this year and future exhibits.

 Sincerely,

Bill Rawlings

President, AVRM

The Antelope Valley Rural Museum will honor the history of the Antelope Valley
with documentation, preservation, exhibition, and education.

The Antelope Valley Rural Museum is a California nonprofit public benefit unincorporated association dedicated to preserving the rural history of Antelope Valley. The purpose of the AVRMOH is to develop a permanent historical museum for the citizens of the Antelope Valley by collecting, preserving, restoring, exhibiting, and researching facts and artifacts pertinent to the history of the Antelope Valley located in Los Angeles County, California.

The Rural Olympics Hall of Fame

The Rural Olympics Hall of Fame honors those whose outstanding actions and extraordinary contributions to the Rural Olympics have resulted in its continued success, popularity, and quality.

The Museum collects, preserves and displays artifacts and historical information pertaining to the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival Rural Olympics for the purpose of documenting  the agricultural heritage of the Antelope Valley for future generations.

Read more >

AV Community Queens

Community Queens Exhibit honors the young women that have been elected each year.

Read more >

In May 2005, at a meeting of the Rural Olympics Committee, Bill Rawlings proposed founding a museum chronicling Antelope Valley’s history.  He wanted to start by creating a Rural Olympics Hall of Fame.

The Rural Olympics actually predates the Antelope Valley Fair.  It used to be known as Field Day, a day when farmers and ranchers got together in the mid 1930s to compete in a series of agriculture-related events.

Although the museum is years away, the Rural Olympics Hall of Fame is a reality, thanks in a huge part to the efforts of Rawlings and others, such as G. Simi, who teamed up with Rawlings to search newspaper archive for articles and photos on the Rural Olympics.

“The Hall of Fame is really personal for me,” said Rawlings, whose late father, Scott, is among the Hall of Fame inductees.  “My dad was a Rural Olympics committee member for many years and held the Model T event record for 23 years.  I held the record with my dad for 18 years.

My roots are deep in the valley.  My great-grandparents ran a hay ranch on the eastside in the 1920’s.”

2007 is Rawlings’ 40^th year involved with the Rural Olympics.  Simi, whose mother, Pat, is a past fair board director, has been on the committee for 20 years—“Scott Rawlings recruited me to help, he said.

Both have heard rumors that the Rural Olympics might end as an event at the fair and move to Lancaster’s Fourth of July celebration.

“I figured if we’re going to lose it, we’re at least not going to lose the memory of it<” Rawlings said.  He turned to look at some of the photos of the Hall of Fame inductees.  “These are the reason the fairgrounds was built.  We are 20 to 30 years late in starting this.”

“(Rawlings’) passion for this is really contagious,” Simi said,”it fired me up.”

On his family’s old ranch, Simi found a late-1940’s Chevy truck that was used as a mechanical hay loader.  Similar trucks were introduced into the Rural Olympics competition in 1952 when mechanical hay loading replaced the hand loading event.

The truck, resting in the farm implement garden in the Heritage Park area of the fair, will hopefully be restored and included among the displays destined for the yet-to-be-built museum.

“It’s all about memories and history,” Rawlings said,  “I saw Butch Godde get choked up when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Seeing that, I got choked up watching him too.

“The inductees are touched, their families are touched.  It lets us know we went the right direction.  It’s critical for us to keep the Rural Olympics at the fair.   It’s too big a part of this fair to just let it go away.”

– RICH BREAULT

The Rural Olympics Hall of Fame committee selected the following seven candidates for induction in 2010.

Pictured at right are, Matthew Jimmick and Shawney Barcelona (in vests). On the bottom row from left: Gus Lori nephew of honoree Frank Lori; Dixie Eliopulos, widow of honoree Ted Eliopulos; Shirley Yates, widow of honoree Bob Yates; and Ralph Bozigian. On the top row from left center: are Rick and Bill Offinga. Not pictured is honoree Harold Johnson.

Ralph Bozigian

Ralph Bozigian served nineteen years on the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival Board of Directors from 1983 through 2001. He was one of the most active in obtaining the 135 acres for the new fairgrounds.

In 1985 he became the co-director and coordinator in charge of the Rural Olympics. As chairman of the Arena committee, from 1990 through 2001, Ralph was responsible for the infield setup and maintaining order before, during and after the Rural Olympics competition. Ralph continued as a past Director and Rural Olympics coordinator after his term as Director, and remains an active member of the Rural Olympics Committee in 2010. His only claim to fame as a contestant came in 1967 when Ralph came in fourth place out of four in the Automatic Hay Loading Contest.

Ralph’s enthusiasm is contagious. His calm demeanor, confident leadership and exemplary commitment to improving the Rural Olympics and providing a great show for the spectators for several decades has earned Ralph the respect and admiration of every person fortunate enough to have served on the Rural Olympics Committee with him. Ralph Bozigian was presented with the Western Fairs Association Blue Ribbon Award in 2002.

Ted Eliopulos

Serving on the Board of Directors at the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival has been a common trait of the Eliopulos family since Ted’s cousin Gus served on the first board in 1941. Ted Eliopulos was a fair Director from 1973 through 1993, and his son Darth has been a Director in charge of the Rural Olympics for several years.

Ted was the official starter for the Rural Olympics during his twenty year tenure as Director. He became Director in charge of the event in 1974. Having grown up on an alfalfa ranch and being a rancher until 1960, Ted had a real understanding of and respect for the men and equipment competing in the unique contests of the Rural Olympics.

Ralph Bozigian called his friend and co-director a “tough hombre” when it came to enforcing the rules and a real “Mr. Antelope Valley” when it came to anything to do with his home, the fair, and the Rural Olympics in particular. He is especially remembered at the Rural Olympics with the green flag in his hand, and as any contestant from that era will attest, you had better be paying attention and be ready when you got to the start line because ted was not one to hesitate with the start flag. Ted Eliopulos was a Western Fairs Association Blue Ribbon Award recipient in 1996.

Harold Johnson

Harold Johnson was a fixture in the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival Rural Olympics throughout the 1960′s in both the Hay Loading and the Truck and Trailer Backing contests. In the Truck and Trailer Backing he finished in the top three on three occasions, with a first place finish in 1963.

Harold competed eleven years from 1960 through 1970 in the Hay Loading Contest. He finished in the top three places eight of the eleven years, with five first place finishes. Three of those first place finishes were with his brother Jerry in consecutive years from 1966, 1967, & 1968. Remarkably Harold partnered with seven different men during this eleven year period.

His finest moment came in 1968 when he and his brother broke the ten year old record set by the legendary Losey Brothers in 1958. The Loseys had owned the Hay Loading record since 1950. In 1970 he partnered with Tom Cissel and again set a new record time.

Frank Lori

The fastest paced competition at the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival Rural Olympics since its’ origin was the mile and one-eighth Hot Rod Tractor Race run from 1952 through 1962, and again from 1972through 1975.

These tractors were modified Allis Chalmers farm tractors, some with Model T Ford front ends, considerable engine work, no governors, straight exhaust, and reversed or modified gears in their rear ends. They also used the lighter weight turf tires rather than traditional field tires. These loud and sleek racers were capable of speeds of 85 MPH in the quarter mile.

Frank Lori was one of these fearless competitors from 1955 through 1962. He placed in the top three seven of the eight years he raced, winning on four occasions, while twice setting new Rural Olympics records. Only Don Padgett equaled Frank Lori in his number of victories in this exciting event.

Bill Offinga

In 1969 Bill Offinga entered two events in the Rural Olympics competition at the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival. He entered the second oldest event at the Rural Olympics, the Truck and Trailer Backing Contest which was first run in 1936, and the Hay Loading Contest which was first run in 1935. He won his first ever competition in the Truck and Trailer Backing Contest, and won again later that day with his brother Leonard as his team mate in the premier event of the Rural Olympics, the Hay Loading Contest.

Bill and Leonard placed in the top two five times. Bill’s greatest Rural Olympics moment came in 1973 when he set a new record in the Truck and Trailer Backing Contest. This record was not broken for twenty two years by Dean Berg in 1995, though it was equaled in 1993 by John Hemme. Only Walt Detjen’s 1972 as yet unbroken record in the Tractor With Sickle Bar Stake Race has a longer duration.

Rick Offinga

Rick Offinga has followed his brothers Leonard and Bill competing in the Rural Olympics at the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival, and joins his brother Bill in the 2010 induction into the Rural Olympics Hall of Fame.

Like Bill he has competed in both the Truck and Trailer Backing Contest and the Hay Loading Contest. While he has placed in the top three on three occasions in the few times he has competed in the Hay Loading, his strength lies in his skill in the Truck and Trailer Backing Contest. Rick has been competing since 1977 and has placed in the top three a dozen times while getting the first place trophy and money eight years.

Bob Yates

Bob Yates competed in the Tractor and Semi-Trailer backing over a period of thirty five years. He won the difficult test of skill the first time he tried in 1962. He also took home the first place trophy and prize money the last time he raced in 1995.

Bob missed several of the years in between because of cancer, but in the years he was able to compete he placed in the top two ten times with nine trips to the winners circle. He established new records in 1965 and again in 1980.

The highlight of Bob’ Rural Olympics career came in 1964 when he took first place honors in both the flat trailer and the closed body classes of the Tractor and Semi-Trailer Backing competitions. A perpetual trophy in for this event was awarded by Bob’s family I his memory beginning in 2008.

The Rural Olympics Hall of Fame committee selected the following seven candidates for induction in 2009.

Wayne Arnold

Wayne has been a competitive person all of his life. In 1956 as a thirteen year old he obtained a parental release and competed against his older brother Eddie in the Tractor Stake Race with Sickle Bar at the Rural Olympics. This race requires the driver to drive a slalom race with a tractor and sickle bar totaling fourteen feet in width through ten stakes which are placed thirteen feet-six inches apart and returning back through the same stakes to the start/finish line. Wayne won this event three times and set a record of 1:03.4 min., breaking the record his brother had previously set. He placed second on seven other occasions.

In 1962 Wayne took second place honors in the Automatic Field Loader Hay Loading Event. He also participated in the grueling Hay Loading Contest with Dean Berg in 1966 & 1967. He also served on the Rural Olympics committee as chairman of the Tractor Stake Race, Women Drivers. Wayne has fully restored the 1952 Ford tractor he raced with and donated it to the Antelope Valley Rural Museum.

Ron Carter

Ron Carter continued the family tradition started by his father Whit by becoming a Fair Director in 1960 and serving as such until 1967. From 1967 until 1974 he donated his services as a timer for the Rural Olympic events and assumed the timer chairmanship from 1975 until 1989.

Ron’s passion and dedication to the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival and especially to the Rural Olympics has never wavered. The Rural Olympics Hall of Fame and Museum Committee are grateful to Ron for his recollections and descriptions of past events and participants which has been a valuable asset for us.

Whit Carter

Whit Carter was involved with the fair as early as 1932 and helped form the contests which evolved into the Rural Olympics. He also helped write the bill which formed the 50th District Agricultural Association which made the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival a part of the State Divisions of Fairs and Expositions in the Department of Food and Agriculture, making it eligible for State financial support.

In 1936 Whit began providing the public address sound system for the Farm events as well as the other arena events and parades until 1978. Whit provided the stop watches for all the timers of the various contests and was diligent in keeping these watches synchronized. He also served on the Rural Olympics Committee as the Chairman of the Timers as well as helping with the arena setup.

Sheldon & Don Jaqua, Jr.

Sheldon and Don began helping their father Don Jaqua, Sr.,”Father of the Rural Olympics”, in 1936 at the ages of 15 and 13 respectively. They did whatever was necessary to help their dad setup and run the Field Events which eventually became the Rural Olympics until World War II interrupted the Fair, and they left to serve their country. After the war they both returned to Lancaster and in 1946 Sheldon, Don, Jr. and Don, Sr. established Jaqua and Sons concrete block manufacturing business.

Both continued serving the fair, especially with the Rural Olympics. For seventeen years from 1958 to 1975 Sheldon served as Fair Director as well as Rural Olympics Committeeman from 1958 to 1986 as a judge and Safety Officer, and as a Starter from 1962 to 1972.

Don, Jr. is officially listed as a Rural Olympics Committeeman from 1948 t 1989, serving as Chairman of the Tractor with Sickle Bar from 1969 through 1989, as well as serving on the Safety and Judge Committees from 1962 to 1972.

These two brothers were dedicated and committed to the continued success, popularity, and quality to the Rural Olympics for over fifty years each.

Ernie Bailey
& “Old Militia”

“Old Militia” and Ernie Bailey, tractor and owner-driver are being inducted and honored, partially because of their immense popularity with the spectators and other contestants at the Rural Olympics. Despite the impossibility of this 1929 Fordson tractor being fast enough to win, Ernie enjoyed the competition and the event so much he paid his entry fees and gave it his best, his best being a third place finish in 1951.

Ernie served as a Judge on the Rural Olympics Committee from 1955 to 1967. “Old Militia”, which some referred to as Old Malicious was donated to the Fair several years ago and will be on display as a permanent part of the Rural Olympics Hall of Fame and Museum.

Vern Wemple

Vern Wemple won more Desert Derby Relay races at the Antelope valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival Rural Olympics than any other person in the twenty-six years the contest was run.

The race consisted of three horses with riders on each team, with as many as four teams competing. At the end of each riders sprint they had to pass the baton to their teammate within the 200 foot allowed distance. This fast paced and dangerous event provided a great deal of excitement and was one of the most popular events ever. 1984 was the final year for this race due to the dangers to both horses and riders.

Vern raced the 20 races from 1960 through 1979, with fourteen different riders as teammates, winning seven times, tying the record in 1963, and coming in second four times. There were a few disqualifications due to the extreme difficulty passing a baton while galloping on horseback. Vern also served on the rural Olympics Committee for several years in the 1970′s.

The Rural Olympics Hall of Fame committee selected the following eight candidates for induction in 2008.

Receiving the Golden Hay Hook Awards at the AV Fair Kickoff dinner are from left: Don Padgett; Al Duncan; Dorothy Jones, widow of honoree Bobby Jones; Frances Krueger widow of honoree Ray Krueger; John Hemme; Billy Clark for his late brother Mel; and Bea Fairchild widow of honoree Otis Fairchild.

Mel Clark
1914-1974

Mel Clark worked in the hay business for 45 years making him a natural to be a champion in the Hay Loading and Truck Backing contests at the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival Field Events and Rural Olympics.

Mel partnered with Bob Marshall to win the Hay Loading contest four consecutive years from 1946 – 1949, setting a new record in 1949. Twenty-five consecutive years from 1946 through 1970 he placed in the top three in the Semi-Truck and Trailer (flat bed). During that time span he won twelve times while setting records three.

Al Duncan

Al first competed in 1957 as a member of the Westside team in the three-man Field Hay Loading event. The following year he was a contestant in the same event as a member of the Eastside team.

After serving in the U. S. Navy he returned to the Rural Olympics competing for 21 years in the premier event the Hay Loading with a mechanical truck loader from 1960 – 1980. Al placed in the top three fourteen times while winning seven.

Otis Fairchild

Otis began his Rural Olympics participation during the 1940′s in the Eastside versus Westside Tug of War contests as well as Truck Backing contests as a representative of the companies he worked for around 1946.

After purchasing his own truck he competed in the Semi-truck and Trailer Backing, both closed and flatbed.

From 1948 – 1972 he placed in the top three nine times with two first and a new record in 1952. Otis also served the Rural Olympics as a committeeman for several years. Otis and his wife Bea were awarded the Western Fairs Association Blue Ribbon Award in 1988.

John Hemme

In 1964 John won the Hay Loading-Mechanical Field Loader event. From 1968-1995 in the Hay Loading Contest he placed in the top three fourteen times, winning twice.

For the past thirty-six years since 1972 John has competed in the Truck and Trailer Backing contest placing in the top three twenty-five times while winning eleven. John has also competed in the Hay Stealing and Hay Squeeze events as well as being instrumental in their development.

Bobby Jones

Bobby was involved with the Rural Olympics as early as 1949. He competed in the three-man Mechanical Field Hay Loading event beginning in 1953, winning the first three years and coming in second in 1956, his last year in that competition.

From 1957 – 1973 Bobby was appointed as Fair Director and served as Director in charge of the Rural Olympics from 1961 -1972. After his service as Director he again entered competition in the Men’s Tractor Race in 1973 & 1974, after which he served as a committeeman into the 1980′s. In 1979 Bobby was awarded the Western Fairs Association Blue Ribbon Award for all his contributions to the Fair and especially to the Rural Olympics. Always a fan, always a supporter, always a promoter.

Judge William Keller

Judge Keller was Justice of the Peace for Antelope Valley from 1934 to 1956 except for time served in the Air Force during WWII. He was also one of the three event judges in the very first Hay Loading contest held at the 1935 Fair.

Judge Keller was very colorful and popular as he served as Master of Ceremonies and Announcer at all Fair events including the Field Days and Rural Olympics every year during his time in AV.

Ray Krueger

During the 1950′s Ray competed in the three-man Mechanical Field Hay Loading event, the Men’s Tractor Stake Race With Sickle Bar, and his favorite the Tug of War where he served as anchorman for the Westside for numerous years.

Ray’s greatest contributions are his over forty years served on the Rural Olympics Committee where he served at various times as Race Steward, Starter, Safety Officer, Protest Committee, Chairman of the Judges Committee 1977-1999, Arena Committee, Parade & Assembly. Ray was also the recipient of the Western Fairs Blue Ribbon Award in 1978 in part for his contributions to the Rural Olympics.

Don Padgett
1928 – 2010

Don took off where his father left off with tractor racing. From 1953-1963 he won four firsts and two seconds as well as several also ran races with his hot rod tractor.

Don was quite a colorful guy and fan favorite with his wild pit crew and his lay back tactic on flying starts, sticking it at the start to go ahead. Don Jaqua would be livid. Don Padgett was one of the most prolific tractor racers of the hot rod tractor era.

Olin Derrick

Olin Derrick has been connected to the fair since before World War II. He helped his stepfather in-law, Charles Cox with hooking up his team of one horse and one mule for the Pulling Contest (Light Weight), which they won in 1938 when the competition pitted Eastside ranchers against Westside ranchers and was known as Farm Contests before the war, Field Day Events after the war, and eventually the Rural Olympics in 1950. They won both the heavyweight and middleweight team pull in 1941.

Olin hauled gravel for the roads and paths to the new fair grounds (forty acres on Avenue I and Division Street). He was also a Starter, Committeeman, Safety Officer, member of the Protest Committee, and Judge before and after the war contributing for over 50 years. He retired the year after he was knocked down by a truck which was backing through the chutes. He does not remember what year it was.

Les Fredeen

Les Fredeen is one of the select few participants of the Rural Olympics without whom there may never have been a permanent home for the Antelope Valley Fair & Alfalfa Festival. He is also one of those responsible for developing the Field Events of the 1930′s into the current day Rural Olympics. Les donated much of the hay used for the early horse arenas and Rural Olympics events from his ranch at 30th Street East and Denis Road (Avenue N).

In 1937 Les, along with his work horses Jerry and Rowdy, won the Team Pulling Contest (heavy weight). The team pulled 14 ½ tons on a piece of equipment with locked brakes. This equipment was brought to the fair by a private concession which traveled the world. In subsequent years Les, Jerry, and Rowdy won the Team Backing Contest and the Team Walking Event.

In 1938 Les placed second in the Hay Baling Contest held at the Gordon Ranch on the Eastside. In 1939 the eliminations for the Baling Contest took place at Les Fredeen’s ranch with the Eastside vs. Westside final being held in front of the bleachers at the new fairgrounds using 40 tons of loose hay scattered on the ground by volunteers such as Les.

Les was instrumental in introducing the Tug of War between the Eastside and Westside farmers, winning as captain of the Eastside team for a couple of years before moving “west” and winning again as captain of the Westside team. Les passed away in December, 1984.

Lawrence “Butch” Godde
1927 – 2010

Butch started participating in the Rural Olympics in 1941 at the age of 14 in the Tractor Race with Sickle Bar. He also wanted to race in the Men’s Tractor Race but the rules stipulated contestants must be at least 18 years old. He was not the winner that year but he was hooked.

From 1941 through1944 the “3-Day A. V. Fair” was cancelled because of World War II. The Fair resumed in 1945 but the Rural Olympics was rained out. Butch was back in the Rural Olympics when they resumed in 1946. He competed in the Tractor Race with Sickle Bar, and Men’s Tractor Race which records show he defeated George Harris in a special heat race.

In 1949 Butch and R. V. Hill tied for first in the Men’s Tractor Race as they both set a new record for that event. With the exception of the time he served in the Korean War, from 1951-1953, Butch competed in the Rural Olympics every year until the 1970′s. Butch, along with teammates Pete Ritter and Frank Russell, won the Mechanical Field Loader Hay Loading contest in 1950, 1958, 1959, and1960.

After he gave up competition Butch continued to work on the Timers committee, and the Event Setup Committee as well as Chairman of the Safety, Parade and Assembly Committee through the 1990′s.The Blue Ribbon Award was presented to Butch in 1978 for his outstanding work at the Rural Olympics. In 2007 at the age of 80 years Lawrence “Butch” Godde was inducted into the Rural Olympics Hall of Fame.

Len Griffen
1921-2009

Len became involved in the Rural Olympics in 1953 when friend and neighbor Bobby Jones told hIm he wanted to get a team together to compete in the Hay Loading with Mechanical Field Loader contest. He and Martin Josund started practicing for a run-off against other farmers to be held at the Eastside School Summer Events. But no other teams showed up.

When Fair time arrived the team drove the tractor, wagon, and hay loader to the Fairgrounds to compete in the Rural Olympics and won first place over the Westside team. This was a longtime “bragging rights” event pitting the Eastside farmers against the Westside farmers. Len won again in 1954 with teammates Bobby Jones and Monte Walters, and again in 1955 with Jones and new teammate Jack Richards, this time setting a new record of 7 min. 17 sec.

Len continued to compete in the Hay Loading Contest and also entered his Ferguson tractor in the Men’s Tractor Race for a few more years, winning again in the Hay Loading with Mechanical Field Loader in 1957 with teammates Jack Richards and Steve Michel.

Being an alfalfa farmer Len was also a longtime participant in the “Alfalfa is King” competition for the Best Hay in Antelope Valley. He won second place in1956, and won third place in 1960 and 1988. Len gave up competition but continued as volunteer on the committees for the field events ending up as the Head Judge of the Rural Olympics from 1990′s-2005. He received the Blue Ribbon Award in 1978 for, among other things, his contributions to the Rural Olympics.

Len was active in the Rural Olympics for over 50 years.

Len Leydecker

Len Leydecker was a contestant in the very first Hay Loading Contest held at the Antelope Valley Fair in 1935. According to the October 10, 1935 Ledger Gazette the contest was held at Hooper Field, the A. V. High School football field, with 4000 spectators in attendance. There were eight teams consisting of a driver and a swamper who had to hand load 64 bales onto a truck, tie it down, move across the field and unload and restack in a definite manner. Len was the driver and Johnny Sellers the swamper on team #1, sponsored by Fernando Valley Milling Company, where it is believed Len was the manager. They were the first team to finish but were disqualified because their fourth tier was imperfect with only twelve bales on the edge instead of fourteen. Len continued to compete in the Hay Loading Contest as the event grew into the Field Events which eventually became the Rural Olympics. In 1937 he and Haye Spencer set a new record of 14min.41sec.

Len Leydecker was known as Don Jaqua Sr.’s “right hand man” and was a starter and committeeman into the 1960′s, donating and volunteering uncountable hours of his time. Len was a Blue Ribbon recipient in 1974 because of his involvement in the Rural Olympics among other things Len Leydecker passed away July 19, 1990 at the age of 87 years.

M. J. Jumbo” Reynolds

Maurice “Jumbo” Reynolds was one of the pioneer supporters of the Rural Olympics and the Antelope Valley Fair. The fair was held at the Antelope valley High School in the 1930′s. Maurice donated his Reynolds Trucking trucks and workers to deliver and set up the alfalfa for the first hay arena and various events and arenas for many years. Reynolds Trucking sponsored the second place finishers in the Hay Loading contest in 1937 and continued donating trucks and sponsoring competitors in the Hay Loading as well as Truck Backing contests.

Many of the men and women involved with the early Field Day and subsequent Rural Olympics are responsible for the Antelope Valley Fair & Alfalfa Festival’s existence, and “Jumbo” Reynolds is second to none in his dedication and generosity. He donated his trucks and drivers to deliver the alfalfa, which was donated by the ranchers of Antelope Valley, to the mill. The money from this hay was used to buy the fairgrounds property on Avenue I and Division Street which was the permanent home of the A. V. Fair from 1938 until 2003.

M. J. not only donated his men and equipment but also countless hours of time on the Rural Olympics Committee as a starter and flagman. In 1970 he sold his trucking business and also retired from the Rural Olympics Committee. Even though he was no longer involved in the planning and execution of the Rural Olympics M. J. “Jumbo” Reynolds remained a loyal supporter by attending the fair’s premier event until his death on October 6, 1995.

Frank Stubbings

Frank Stubbings was one of the first professional photographers to take pictures of the events and people of the Rural Olympics. He came to the Antelope Valley from the Los Angeles area though originally from Detroit taking aerial photos and opening his first photography studio on Lancaster Blvd. and Beech St. He later moved his studio south of Lancaster Blvd. on Beech St.where he remained until his retirement. Frank got involved with the Rural Olympics 1947-48 taking aerial and ground action shots of both Field and Mechanical Hay Loading Contests, Men’s and Women’s Tractor Races, Truck Backing Contests, Tug-of-War between the Eastside and Westside farmers, and over the years all of the various Rural Olympic Contests.

Frank not only photographed the Rural Olympics, he was also at the A V Fair with his beloved Rolleiflex camera to capture excitement at Horse Shows, 4-H and open events, Rodeos, Cow Roping, Bull Riding, Rodeo Clowns, Kids “Catch a Greased Pig” contests, pie and watermelon eating. He was also there for the Rainbow girls ushering in the grandstand during Rural Olympics as well as the Demalay Boys helping out, the community queens, the senators, the congressmen, as well as Barry Goldwater Jr. competing in the Antique Auto Potato Race, and the Chris Shery Chefs Lamb Barbeques.

After Frank developed his photos he would post them the next day on large poster boards next to the front entrance information booth and in his large studio windows where you could order a large 5 x 7 photo. Many of Frank’s pictures are displayed annually at the the Old-timer’s Barbeque as well as in this museum. Retiring from the Fair events in 1990 Frank was still taking aerial pictures of ranches and businesses around the Antelope Valley. Frank Stubbings died August 6, 2005.

Keith Tindall

Keith Tindall was recruited by Whit Carter to serve on the Rural Olympics Committee in the 1940′s. Because he sold, maintained, and repaired many of the watches and timepieces for the residents of Antelope Valley as a premier jeweler in Lancaster for so many years, it is not surprising that he was recruited as a timer. He served the committee as a timer as well as judge for over thirty years until 1973.

Keith was never a competitor in any event. It is for his countless hours on the field and attending committee meetings, as well as his contributions and input to help the improvement and insure the success of the Rural Olympics, that Kieth Tindall is awarded the “Golden Hay Hook” and inducted into the Rural Olympics Hall of Fame.