Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame
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The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a lifelong commitment to the western way of life, celebrating individuals whose dedication, influence, and passion have left an enduring legacy, and we are proud to present this honor to Jonnie Jonckowski.
Jonnie was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame on September 27th, 2025 in Billings, Montana.
Lynn βJonnieβ Jonckowski was introduced to the Western way of life at a young age. At just nine years old, she traveled to Southeastern Montana to help a family friend and was tasked with herding 90 head of cattle along a dry riverbed from Wibaux to Ekalaka. From there, Jonnie spent her summers on ranches, always leaning toward becoming a cowgirl.
At age fourteen, she worked at a dude ranch for Don Wright and Ted Knight. Ted operated the bucking horse sale in Billings before it moved to Miles City, and while working there, Jonnieβs interest grew after hearing rodeo tales from Bill and Bud Linderman, along with Turk, Marge, and Alice Greenough.
In high school, Jonnie dreamed of running in the Olympics. Ranked second in the nation, she had her sights set on the 1976 Montreal Games before an injury ended that dream, opening the door for her to scratch her rodeo itch. That same year, while in a coffee shop with her mother, she saw a poster advertising an all-womenβs rodeo in Red Lodge. She entered the bareback event, borrowing equipment from a local cowboy. When she made the whistle, the adrenaline rush and attention were unmatched, and Jonnie knew she had found what she was looking for.
That summer, several of Jonnieβs girlfriends suggested she try bull riding. Always up for a challenge, Jonnie settled in the chute on her first bull, Man Mountain. She lasted four seconds and was instantly hooked. This was the start of a decades-long career that took her from Madison Square Garden to the Forum in Los Angeles, and to the sacred grounds of Pendleton Round-Up and Cheyenne Frontier Days.
In 1977, wanting to further her craft, Jonnie enrolled in a bull riding school in Colorado put on by Chris LeDoux, Bobby Berger, and Bruce Ford. Among 105 cowboys, Jonnie was the only girl. After getting on 30 bulls, she finished second, despite being kicked in the face and suffering her first of many injuries. She dedicated herself to training, lifting, and running until she reached 7% body fat, and got on as many bulls as she could, traveling to county fairs, small-town rodeos, and anywhere that would let her ride. She often waited until the end of performances to get on re-ride bulls, taking every opportunity to improve.
Jonnieβs talent, practice, and drive propelled her to the top of her sport. She broke gender barriers, brought media attention to womenβs rodeo, and in 1986 won her first world title for bull riding in the PWRA, earning another in 1988 and reserve champion five other times. That same year, she opened the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas with an exhibition ride scoring 86 points.
She campaigned to bring womenβs rough stock events back to major rodeos, and after three years of convincing the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, womenβs bronc and bull riding returned in 1988 for the first time in 51 years. In 1991, Jonnie and her friends rode at Pendleton Round-Up, breaking another 62-year absence.
Throughout her career, Jonnie gained respect from crowds and fellow bull riders alike, whether she was beating the boys, riding injured, or conquering the unridable. On one occasion, she nodded her head on Mr. T, a bull with no qualified rides in 42 outs by the PRCAβs best, and Jonnie made the eight-second whistle at a rodeo in South Dakota.
In 1991, Jonnieβs mission and accomplishments were recognized with her induction into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas, taking her place beside Dale Evans, Annie Oakley, and her inspirations Marge and Alice Greenough. In 1992, she was invited to ride against men in the World Bull Riding Championships in Scottsdale, Arizona, returning as the lone female invitee again in 1993.
Jonnieβs talents extended to Hollywood. In 1996, she was chosen from 3,000 cowboys and cowgirls to play an outlaw named Chance in the show Wild West Showdown. Over her storied 23-year career, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, American Gladiators, and numerous game shows.
In 2000, Jonnie rode her final bull, retiring at the age of 46βnot because she didnβt love it anymore, but because her body could no longer take the toll. Every once in a while, when attending a rodeo, she still feels that familiar pull and thinks, βI wish I had a bull rope right now.β
Retirement was not the end of Jonnieβs story. In 1998, she founded Angel Horses, a nonprofit equine therapy and horse rescue facility in Billings. The operation uses rescued horses and donkeys to provide comfort therapy for senior shut-ins, cancer patients, disabled veterans, at-risk youth, and special needs individuals of all ages. Angel Horses is her pride and joy, a labor of love.
Today, her story is featured in a PBS documentary simply titled Jonnie.