PVRA, Poway Rodeo organizer Russ Sheldon dies
Russ Sheldon, a 42-year Poway resident who helped start the Poway Valley Riders Association and the Poway Rodeo, died at home on May 7. He was 74.
Sheldon was a founding member of the PRVA and the rodeo. He was also very active in promoting the sport of arena polo. According to John South, president of the PVRA, the Poway Polo Club has received national recognition for its champion riders.
“The passion and dedication he had, he carried it everywhere,” South said. “(The PVRA) would not be here today if not for the hard work he put into it.”
Poway Mayor Steve Vaus added, “Russ Sheldon almost single-handedly kept the ‘country’ in the ‘City in the Country.’ Considering all he’s done over the decades for the rodeo and for arena polo, Russ leaves some very big boots to fill.”
South said the PVRA board held an emergency meeting and voted to name the Tierra Bonita Road arena in Sheldon’s honor.
In 2005 Sheldon was the grand marshal of the Poway Days Parade. He served the Poway Rodeo as chairman five times and was a former president, secretary and treasurer of the National Cowboy Arena Polo Association.
Sheldon and his wife, Carolyn “Charlie” Sheldon, moved to Poway from Michigan in 1972. The two met while Sheldon was delivering newspapers on horseback in a small Michigan town.
A civil engineer, Sheldon spent much of his adult life in the construction business while “Charlie” ran a local tack store until 1989. She died in 2007. After retiring, Sheldon managed four interscholastic polo teams, based out of Poway, that competed at the national level. His teams won the National Interscholastic Championship title twice and placed second three times.
Survivors include three children, Sherry, Billy and Michael; six brothers, one sister, six grandchildren and a great-grandson.
A celebration of Sheldon’s life will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 24 on the PRVA grounds. The family is asking for RSVPs to 1polonut@polodeoranch.com.
The inaugural Russ Sheldon Memorial Polo Tournament will be held Monday in the PVRA arena. The featured match, at noon, will include Sheldon’s children, grandchildren and other family members.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to any of the following: Poway Polo Club, 14325 Midland Road, Poway, CA 92064; Polo Training Foundation, 70 Clinton St., Tully, NY, 13159; Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, 101 Pro Rodeo Drive, Colorado Springs, CO, 80919.
