Cowboys of Color Hall of Fame inducts pioneering Paint roper

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Cornelious “Paul” Cleveland, 73, of Houston, Texas, is among the newest inductees into the Cowboys of Color Hall of Fame. The trainer has been turning out top roping horses that excel in rodeo and horse show competition for decades, including several Paint Horses.

One of Cleveland’s first successes with Paints came with Allen Star Dust, a brown tobiano stallion owned by Napoleon Allen of Houston, Texas. The horse was foaled in 1962—the year that the American Paint Horse Association’s (APHA) predecessor—the American Paint Stock Horse Association—was formed. According to Cleveland, he trained and rode “Stardust” in the inaugural 1966 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Houston, Texas, where they won the APHA tie-down roping class.

The trainer’s legacy with the breed continues today. Although Cleveland doesn’t show these days, that doesn’t mean he’s slowed his behind-the-scenes activities any. He is currently busy continuing to train top roping horses and coaching up-and-coming roping enthusiasts.

For example, one of his students rode sorrel tobiano gelding Silkys Traveler, owned by Jack Bass of Montgomery, Texas, in the APHA-approved Senior Calf Roping at the 2008 Houston Livestock Show. For the trainer to return to such a prestigious event more than 40 years after his first appearance there is another example of his pioneering spirit, as is the fact that his student competed with a 27-year-old horse.

Cleveland said that “Silky” has been a great lesson horse that has taught many of his clients about roping. He prides himself on the fact his training is often a lifetime investment in not only the horse, but also the rider.

Other Hall of Fame inductees
The Cowboys of Color Museum and Hall of Fame inducted six other honorees in 2008, including Art Burton, Holt Collier, Tommie Haw, Dr. Taylor H. Haynes, Matthew “Bones” Hooks and Willie Thomas. This is the sixth year that the organization has inducted those who have been influential in shaping the history of the minority cowboy.