Karen Vold, wife of Hall of Fame stock contractor Harry Vold, dies at 86

Karen Vold, the 2016 recipient of the Donita Barnes Lifetime Achievement Award and wife of ProRodeo Hall of Fame stock contractor Harry Vold, passed away Monday, Jan. 12, at her family’s ranch in Fowler, Colo. She was 86.

At just 14 years old, Karen Vold entered her first rodeo as a trick rider. That day jump started her career to become one of the best trick riders in PRORODEO.

By 18 she was performing at larger events, training under world champion Dick Griffith along the way. At one of her bookings, she met Harry. The two later married and together ran Harry Vold Rodeo Company, a longtime staple in the PRCA before it was taken over by their daughter, Kirsten.

“She loved rodeo and she loved trick riding,” Kirsten Vold said. “She taught so many students for trick riding and that’s great. Her legacy will continue through all their students.”

Karen Vold widely supported the stock contracting firm from behind the scenes. She helped organize flag presentations, timing events and was often described as the “backbone” of the operation.

“She always wanted to be in the back and never wanted to be in the front,” Kirsten Vold said. “But she was the one that kept that rodeo company going. We’d never know how many pairs of pickup men chaps she cleaned over the years. She always kept all the pickup men chaps clean. That was always her big thing. But she kept them in matching shirts, ties on the judges even though they didn’t like wearing them. She was always in charge of the wardrobe.”

Karen and Harry Vold began handing the contracting firm over to Kirsten more than 25 years ago. In 2017, when Harry passed, Kirsten took it over and it was renamed to the Kirsten Vold Rodeo Company.

Karen Vold’s love for performing at rodeos came from her father, Andy Womack, a ProRodeo Hall of Fame clown. While helping run the stock contracting firm, she opened trick riding schools. She and a former student, Linda Scholtz, taught trick riding at the Red Top Ranch Trick Riding School in Avondale, Colo., for three decades.

In 1978, Karen Vold was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.

Karen Vold passed away at her family’s ranch from natural causes. Kirsten Vold said her mother had dealt with heart conditions later in her life.

“We were lucky that she was at home and that’s what’s the most important thing,” Kirsten Vold said.

A celebration of life for Karen Vold is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 19 at 2 p.m. (MT) at the West Assembly of God Church in Fowler, Colo. In lieu of flowers, the Vold family asks donations be made in Karen Vold’s name to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund.