Chadron State College Athletic Hall of Fame
A graduate of Stapleton High School, Lehmkuhler became an excellent gymnast while at Chadron State under the guidance of the late Harry Simonton. He used those skills to become the NAIA District 11 three-meter diving champion for Chadron State as a sophomore in 1974, the year before swimming was discontinued at the college.
That was just the start in a long line of honors for Lehmkuhler. After graduating, he became a leading pro rodeo clown and bullfighter. He was selected the PRCA Clown of the Year in 1989, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ‘97 and was chosen the Coors “Man in a Can” in both 1989 and 1992. When he was inducted into the CSC Hall of Fame, he had received more top honors than any active rodeo clown.
For 31 years, Lehmkuhler entertained rodeo crowds with a trampoline act that had its beginnings at Chadron State. He believes he sustained “enough injuries to say I did my job,” while helping rescue bullriders. After a 10-year hiatus from teaching to spend full-time on the rodeo circuit, Lehmkuhler returned to teaching drafting, construction and woodworking at North Platte High School in 1997. However, he still works at rodeos as far away as Texas during the summers. Nowadays he says he’s mostly “a rodeo comedian” who entertains audiences with stories and antics that don’t include too many physical risks.
