Chancellor receives Range Riders’ Silver Spur Award

UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak was recently awarded the Pikes Peak Range Riders’ Silver Spur Award winner.

The award was announced on June 23 at the Range Riders’ annual dinner preceding the July Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.

“I was surprised, honored, and humbled by this award,” Shockley-Zalabak said. “The award really is for the work of an entire campus.”

According to Range Rider Chris Jones, the Silver Spur Award recognizes the very best in Colorado Springs and that Shockley-Zalabak was honored for her impact on the community and at UCCS.

“Pam’s impact on Colorado Springs has been immense,” Jones said. “Through her dedicated service, leadership, inspired vision, and a fervent commitment to our community.”

The Range Riders were founded in 1949 as an experiment to promote the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo. The dinner and award announcement typically wrap up the Range Riders’ five-day horseback ride around Pikes Peak to publicize the rodeo.

Because of the Black Forest fire, however, the Range Ride was canceled this year – only the second time in the group’s 65-year history. The first was during the Hayman Fire in 2002.

Past Silver Spur Award recipients include Thayer Tutt, Nick and Bambi Venetucci, Robert C. Norris, Harry Hoth, Merv Bennett, David Jenkins, and Cindy Fowler.

For more information about the Pikes Peak Range Riders, please visit: http://www.pikespeakrangeriders.net/.