Griffith rides rodeo into Hall of Fame

You might have to drive a little and look a bit harder, but it’s still there.

There’s a part of Las Vegas where people still can ride their horses, where ranching is still a way of life. Where you probably won’t get a ticket for talking on your cellphone while you’re sitting in the saddle.

Welcome to Ric Griffith’s world.

The “real” old Las Vegas still exists. And for guys like Griffith, who came to town in 1962 as a 4-year-old from Canada and never forgot the sheer pleasure of going for an evening ride in the summer aboard a sturdy horse, it’s the only life they want.

“It’s always been a part of Las Vegas,” said Griffith, 56, who will be inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame on Friday at the Orleans Arena for his longtime success coaching UNLV’s rodeo team. “There’s a lot more of a horse community (in Northwest Las Vegas) than people think.”

Griffith will join boxer Mike Tyson, NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, golf pro Joe Kelly and former UNLV and NFL quarterback Glenn Carano as part of the Class of 2015.

Griffith, a former professional rodeo competitor, helped start UNLV’s team in 1991. As a club sport, rodeo receives limited funding from the student body and relies on donations to meet its $163,000 annual budget. But when you have won 15 national titles, four women’s national titles and 26 regional team titles, people are a little more willing to open their checkbooks and back a winner.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have the community support us,” Griffith said. “One of the things I’m most proud of is how the horse industry has backed the rodeo team.”

Griffith has helped introduce rodeo to hundreds of local boys and girls. He also has attracted dozens of students from other states to UNLV to compete on the school’s rodeo team.

The former steer wrestler who is a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Gold Card member said by introducing kids to the sport at a young age, there is a better chance of keeping them engaged and interested in rodeo.

“It teaches you a lot about life and about responsibility,” Griffith said of rodeo, which is tough and demanding, even at its most basic levels. “But we’ve had kids come through our program that are now doctors, lawyers, you name it. And that’s the thing I like the most about what we do. For us, education comes first and rodeo comes second.”

Griffith becomes the first rodeo individual to be inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. The National Finals Rodeo was enshrined as an organization in 2009. Griffith admitted he didn’t see the honor coming.

“I’m still in shock,” he said. “Normally, they don’t honor rodeo. So this is a big honor.”

As far as Griffith is concerned, this is a team honor. Without the team’s success over the years — producing all-around champions Preston Williams in 1997, Ross Coleman in 1998, Suzanne Montero in 2000-01 and Jonlyn Vaccaro in 2002 — it’s unlikely the SNSHOF would have selected him.

“It’s all about the kids and the staff we’ve had through the years,” he said. “They helped make UNLV rodeo special.”

And years later, it’s still special. Even with the advances in technology and science that have led to genetically improved stock, Griffith enjoys the basic challenge of roping a calf, staying on a bull, racing around barrels and wrestling a steer.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes, most of it for the better,” he said. “But it still comes down to competing, and we’ve been blessed to have great kids who love to compete.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.