Lydia Moore Passes Away

By Ann Bleiker

The WPRA sends their condolences to the family of Lydia Moore who passed away on January 9, 2025, after a brief illness.

Lydia Moore was born in St. Charles, Illinois, to a rodeo/circus family. She received trick-roping lessons from Billy Buschbaum at age 10 and performed at area rodeos. She and her sister, Percyna, were instrumental in establishing the Missouri Girls Rodeo Association. They also won events such as goat tying, barrel racing and pole bending. In 1967 the Moore family moved to Oklahoma and, shortly thereafter, Lydia Moore was hired by legendary rodeo announcer Clem McSpadden as the liaison between the NFR and barrel racers. Later, Moore helped run the NFR’s press room. She served as awards chairman for the Girls Rodeo Association (GRA), securing vehicles, trailers and other donations for barrel racing champions, and became a GRA director at large, bull riding director and Southern Region director. In 1973 she accepted the executive secretary position for the GRA/WPRA (Women’s Professional Rodeo Association), a position she held for 22 years. She was honored with the Coca-Cola Woman of the Year award in1991 and was inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and Hall of fame in Oklahoma City in 2019.

May She Rest in Peace.