DURANT, OK - The Ken Lance and Ruth Lance Wester Endowed Scholarship for Rodeo at Southeastern Oklahoma State University was established Thursday with the unveiling of the portrait in the president's conference room.

  The late Ken Lance was a trick roper, all-around cowboy and rodeo promoter who graduated from Durant High School in 1946.  He received numerous trophy belt buckles over the years.  He was the Southwestern Rodeo Association champion calf roper, 1961; Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo champion calf roper, 1961; first-steer-roping champion at Stratford, Oklahoma, 1971; Rodeo Man of the Year Short Grass Rodeo News, 1979; and named Committee Man of the Year by the Women's Professional Rodeo Association, 1980.

  He was proud of his Indian heritage and in 1998 was inducted into the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame.

    Ruth Whitlock grew up in McAlester, Oklahoma, and graduated from Neosho Missouri High School in 1956.  She joined the U.S. Air Force and, after receiving her honorable discharge, moved to Florida and obtained her Real Estate Sales Associate License.

     She is an author and has received several honors throughout her career.  She was named Ms. Oklahoma Woman by All-American Pageants, Inc.; served on the Ambassador committee for the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce and named "Volunteer of the Year," all in 2001.

    In 2007, Ruth and her sister, June Proctor, co-authored and published the book "Ropin' the Dream: The Story of the Ken Lance Sports Arena 1964-1994."  In April 2008, the rodeo history book won first place in the Press Women of Texas Communications contest for non-fiction book autobiography and biography.

    Ken and Ruth were married in 1961 in Chicago, IL.  Ruth rode into the Chicago Rodeo as Rodeo Princess and rode out with Ken to Oklahoma as his wife and business partner over the next 25 years.  In 1964, they built the Ken Lance Sports Arena at Union Valley between Ada and Stonewall, Oklahoma.

    The arena hosted numerous rodeo greats such as Roy Cooper, Ty Murray, Jim Shoulders, Larry Mahan, Freckles Brown, Sue Pirtle and Martha Arthur Josey; plus Country Music stars such as Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, Red Steagall, Willie Nelson, Susie McEntire (Luchsinger) and Pake McEntire.

    In 2001, Film Works, LLC, owned by Ruth's niece Sheilia Thurmon, conducted a live interview with Ken and Ruth for the DVD, "The Ride of a Lifetime: 30 Years at the Ken Lance Sports Arena, Ada, OK."

    Ken passed away in 2006.  Ruth is now married to Dr. Truman Wester, President Emeritus of Grayson County College in Denison, Texas, and a Distinguished Alumnus of Southeastern Oklahoma State University.  Ruth and Truman are members of the Red River Writers, Durant and Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.

    An announcement was made by the Reverend Randall Christy of the Union Valley Baptist Church in Stonewall that the Ken Lance Sports Arena had been purchased and would be reopened as the 3 Crosses/Ken Lance Arena, Cowboy Church and Rodeo Camp for kids.

    Ruth and Truman Wester are co-founders and members of this non-profit, non-denominational church and Ruth is on the board of trustees.

    Reverend Christy is president of the organization.

Ken Lance Memorial PRCA Rodeo

Union Valley, OK near Ada  Date: May 21 & 22, 2010

Integrity Networks:        December 9th, 2010

Randall Christy, Founder and President of The Gospel Station Network, will be sharing "Doing Business God's Way".

Also presenting will be Ruth Lance Wester.  Ruth and Ken Lance founded the Ken Lance Sports Arena in 1964 and was considered the 3rd largest rodeo in America.  Come to hear her story of the amazing 30 year production held near Ada, Oklahoma in Union Valley; now known as the 3 Crosses/Ken Lance Arena Cowboy Church and Youth Camp.

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