Peggy Ward

Modern-era Rodeo

Inducted 2025

Peggy was raised on a cattle and horse ranch on the Standing Rock Reservation north of Timber Lake, South Dakota. At an early age, Peggy loved horses and knew she wanted to train them to rodeo. Her dad, Ken Ward, gave her “Nubbins” to train for barrel racing. In the late 50’s and early 60’s, Peggy and Nubbins entered many saddle club field day and 4-H rodeos. Together they won numerous ribbons and trophies. Peggy then trained “Shelly” for barrel racing of which she won numerous times in saddle club, 4-H, little britches, and high school rodeos. In 1966, Peggy won the senior all-around cowgirl trophy at the little britches rodeo in Mobridge, South Dakota. In 1967, she grabbed another all-around cowgirl title, in addition to winning the Queen contest in Clark, South Dakota. Peggy wasn’t just a barrel racer as she also participated in breakaway and goat tying.

Peggy graduated high school in 1967 and attended college in Denver, Colorado. After, graduation she lived, worked, and later started a family in Fort Yates, ND. In the early 1980s, she continued her rodeo career when she purchased a white horse named “Cotton”. Peggy trained Cotton and together became an exceptional team winning the NDRA barrel racing championship for 4 consecutive years. In addition to becoming the NDRA champion in 1982, she was also the GPIRA champ and the International Indian Assembly Rodeo barrel racing champion in Saskatchewan, Canada. The next year, Peggy was the NDRA barrel racing champ and Cotton was awarded horse of the year. Not only did the pair bring home the NDRA champ in 1983 but she was also the GPIRA champion that year. The following two years, Peggy and Cotton continued their NDRA winning streak of which Peggy is believed to hold the record for most consecutive barrel racing wins for the state of North Dakota.

Peggy, now retired and living in Arizona, enjoys sitting in the grandstands at rodeos and other western events. She often gives reports and status updates on what cowboy or cowgirl she got to see ride or meet. It is clear her love of horses still holds a special place in her heart, and she will forever be a champ in the rodeo arena.