The Roosevelt American Spirit Conservation Awards represent individual courage, dedication, optimism, honor and compassion – the same virtues that made America. The awards are designed to recognize outstanding contributions to wild sheep conservation, the Midwest Chapter, along with its mission and programs. Winners of a Roosevelt American Spirit Conservation Award, serve as role models for the Midwest Chapter’s Mission and Values.
Established in 2023, “In The Arena” award is intended to recognize an individual that has made scientific contributions to the preservation of North America’s wild sheep and has dedicated their lives to ensure the health and welfare of wild sheep and wildlife. “It is not the critic who counts… the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…”
– Theodore Roosevelt, April 23, 1910, Paris, France
2024 Recipient – Brett Wiedmann
ND Game & Fish Dept. Wildlife Biologist and ND Bighorn Sheep Program Manager with the inaugural Midwest Chapter Roosevelt American Spirit “In The Arena” Conservation Award. Through Brett Wiedmann’s dedication to North Dakota’s Bighorn Sheep, populations have grown substantially and stabilized after decades of a dwindling population with a very bleak future.
Brett Wiedmann & Mike Bouton
Brett Wiedmann & Dave Currier
2025 Recipient – Kevin Hurley
Wild Sheep Foundation Vice President of Conservation – Emeritus, Kevin Hurley has had a distinguished career spanning 5 decades as a wildlife biologist in North America, with wild sheep, particularly bighorn sheep, being a huge part of his personal and professional life. Kevin Hurley’s passion, commitment and leadership in wild sheep conservation has and continues to significantly impact North America’s wild sheep populations.
Kevin Hurley & Mike Bouton
The 2024 Midwest Chapter WSF RASC “In The Arena” Award plaque reads:
Presented To
Recipient Name
The Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation recognizes and commends your courage, dedication, optimism, honor and compassion for significant scientific contributions to the preservation of North America’s wild sheep and individual commitment to ensure the health and welfare of wild sheep and wildlife conservation.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt April 23, 1910, Paris, France
March 16, 2024 Minnetonka, Minnesota
The program’s name was inspired by our 26th President Theodore Roosevelt who exemplified courage, dedication, optimism, honor and compassion throughout his life.
Teddy Roosevelt did more for the conservation of our natural resources and the preservation of sport hunting than any other person in the history of our nation.
Teddy Roosevelt is often considered the “conservation president.” In the North Dakota Badlands, Roosevelt is remembered with a national park that bears his name and honors the memory of the original conservationist.
In 1887, he and his closest friends founded the Boone and Crockett Club – the nation’s oldest conservation organization. Under his direction as Club president and president of the United States, numerous laws and legislative actions protecting wildlife and natural resources were enacted. The creation of the U.S. Forest Service, the National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Park Service, which are among his most notable achievements, paved the way to ultimately setting aside tens of millions of acres for the benefit of wildlife, our nation, and future generations.
On April 23, 1910 in Paris, France and a year after his second term ended, TR gave his most enduring speech: “Citizenship in the Republic”. This historical speech is the inspiration for our Roosevelt American Spirit Conservation Award named “In The Arena”.
He famously declared “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”