Editing Gene Autry (section)

=== Rodeo ===
[[File:Gene Autry and Gail Davis Toronto.jpg|right|thumb|Gene Autry and [[Gail Davis]] in Toronto, 1956<ref>[http://www.world-theatres.com/CNE.html "Canadian National Exhibition Grandstand Performers 1948-1994"], See the performers for 1956. Retrieved November 25, 2017</ref>]]
In 1941, at the height of his screen popularity, Autry had a string of [[rodeo]] stock based north of [[Ardmore, Oklahoma]]. It was known as the Flying A Ranch and encompassed 1200 acres. It served as headquarters for his traveling rodeo. The nearby town of Berwyn, then honored Autry by naming the town after him. Thirty Five thousand people attended the ceremony on November 16, 1941. A year later, he became a partner in the World Championship Rodeo Company, which furnished [[livestock]] for many of the country's major rodeos. In 1954, he acquired Montana's top [[bucking]] string from the estate of Leo J. Cremer Sr., and put Canadian [[bronc riding|saddle bronc riding]] champion Harry Knight in charge of the operation. A merger with the World Championship Rodeo Company in 1956 made Autry the sole owner. He moved the entire company to a {{convert|24000|acre|km2|adj=on}} ranch near [[Fowler, Colorado]], with Knight as the working partner in the operation. For the next 12 years, they provided livestock for most of the major rodeos in Texas, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska. When the company was sold in 1968, both men continued to be active in rodeo. For his work as a livestock contractor, Autry was inducted into the [[Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association]]'s [[ProRodeo Hall of Fame]] in 1979.<ref name="ProRodeo">{{Cite news|url=https://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/stock-contractors/gene-autry/|title=Gene Autry – Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|work=Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|access-date=April 22, 2017}}</ref> Autry received several honors for his contributions to rodeo.

==== Honors ====
* 1972: [[Hall of Great Western Performers]] of the [[National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/performers/1593/|title=Great Western Performers|work=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum|access-date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>
* 1979: [[ProRodeo Hall of Fame]]<ref name="ProRodeo" />
* 1980: [[Hall of Great Westerners]] of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/great-westerners/gene-autry/|title=Hall of Great Westerners|work=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum|access-date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>
* 1988: [[Texas Trail of Fame]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://texastrailoffame.org/inductees/gene-autry/|title=Gene Autry|date=May 25, 2013|work=Western Heritage from the [[Texas Trail of Fame]]|access-date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>
* 2013: [[Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://texasrodeocowboy.com/inductees/?orderby=title&order=ASC|title=Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame: Past Inductees|website=Texasrodeocowboy.com|access-date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>