2023 ROHOF Inductees
The Rural Olympics Hall of Fame committee selected the following candidates for induction in 2023.
2023 was a bittersweet year for the Rural Olympics Committee and The Rural Olympics Hall of Fame. After nearly 90 years of being the premier event of the Antelope Valley Fair, the FINAL Rural Olympics competition was held on April 22nd during the Poppy Festival. On that day Jake Kyle, Raymond Juarez, and Mike Yates were inducted into the Rural Olympics Hall of Fame for 2023. Once future events had been cancelled and the Rural Olympics Committee dissolved, the Hall of Fame Committee determined that we needed to present two more Golden Hay Hook Awards. During the Annual AV Fair Kickoff Dinner on August 11th, Jimmy Godde and Debbie Smith became the 73rd and 74th recipients during what was most likely the final induction ceremony. The Rural Olympics Hall of Fame will always be housed, and its inductees honored within the Antelope Valley Rural Museum.
Jake Kyle
Jake Kyle has competed in the Rural Olympics since 2007 winning the Hay Stealing Contest 10 consecutive years from 2007 through 2016 with his friend Peter Tierney. The teammates set the event record multiple times, and it remains unbroken today. Jake has also competed in the Antique Car Potato Race with 3 wins and 2 seconds, the Hay Loading-Mechanical Field Loader once with a 2nd, and the Toughest Farm Hand four times with 1 win and 3 third-place finishes.
Jake, on ground, is pictured here competing in the 2012 Hay Stealing Contest
Julie Kyle presents Golden Hay Hook to son Jake Kyle, David Pickus on right representing the Rural Olympics HOF Selection Committee
Raymond Juarez
Raymond Juarez has been competing in the Hay Loading Contest since 2004, winning it 9 times, placing 2nd 6 times, and placing 3rd twice as of the 2022 Rural Olympics. The first Hay Loading Contest of record in the Antelope Valley took place in 1935. It is the oldest and most prestigious event of the Rural Olympics.
Raymond is pictured here on the right competing in the 2004 Hay Loading Contest with Chris Planellas. This was the team’s first of 13 times competing together and first of 6 championships together.
Left: Chris Planellas presents Golden Hay Hook to longtime Hay Loading Teammate Raymond Juarez. Chris entered the HOF in 2013
Mike Yates
Mike Yates follows his dad Bruce, and brother Chris into the ROHOF as they were crowd pleasers and fan favorites in their competitive side-by-side competitions in the Gravel Truck and Trailer Backing Contest. Mike began competing in 2006 with four wins, three seconds, and three third-place finishes. In addition, Mike has also won both the Truck & Trailer Backing Contest and the Auto Dash once each.
Mike is pictured above competing in the 2019 Gravel Truck & Transfer Contest
L to R: David Pickus representing the ROHOF Selection Committee, Mike Yates , Bruce & Chris Yates presented the Golden Hay Hook to their son & brother respectfully. Bruce was inducted in 2000, Chris in 2020.
Jimmy Godde
Jimmy Godde becomes a third-generation Golden Hay Hook recipient as he follows his grandfather “Butch” and father Jeff, inducted in 2007 and 2011, respectively. Though all three men each competed in several different events, the Godde Rural Olympics legacy is in the Tractor with Sickle Bar slalom event, which, since its debut in 1941, has never been run without at least one Godde competing. As a 15-year-old, Jimmy joined the Rural Olympics Committee in 2004 as a “runner”, hand carrying the official times and results across the arena to announcers and scorekeepers. In 2005, at 16, he was finally old enough to compete in the Sickle Bar race. Jimmy also competed in the Tractor Barrel and Antique Auto Potato Race several times
Jimmy is pictured here in 2014 competing in the Tractor Barrel Race. This photo from the AV Press caused the AV Fair Board to request the Rural Olympics Committee to shorten the distance between barrels to reduce the speed and danger of tipping over.
Debbie Smith
Debbie Smith became one of the founders of the Rural Olympics Hall of Fame and Selection Committee in 2005. She was an avid fan of the Rural Olympics from the first time she witnessed it as a young girl in 1966. In 1989 while on summer break from her teacher’s aide duties, she went to the Fair Office to purchase Rural Olympics tickets. The next thing she knew, she was hired to answer phones and other jobs around the office. She eventually advanced to AV Fair Association Deputy Director and, for several decades, served as the Staff Member assigned to and Secretary of the Rural Olympics Committee.
Debbie is pictured here in 2006, presenting the Golden Hay Hook to Harold “Red Dog” Mansperger during the AV Fair Volunteers Kickoff Dinner, and below receiving her award from Fair Director Angie Hughes and ROHOF Chairman Bill Rawlings during the 2023 AV Fair Volunteers Kickoff Dinner.
