Bob Woodward will be inducted into the Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame at this year’s banquet and induction ceremony on June 6. The entire class of inductees totals 11 and includes cowboys from Cherry, Garden, McPherson, Keya Paha, Brown, Thomas, Grant, Arthur, and Custer counties.
Woodward grew up in Brewster in the sandhills of Blaine County as part of a family with 10 kids, born in 1932. He attended school in Brewster through the 11th grade when he dropped out and continued his education, as he described it, ‘With a shovel and post-hole diggers in hand.”
Bob believed he was about 14 when he got his first taste of rodeo competition in Dunning. It was in his blood ever since. One of his first jobs was working for Tommy Loughran in Custer County, and he and rodeo friend Dale Svoboda worked breaking horses for the McMillan Ranch in southern Blaine county.
In 1952, Woodward entered the US Army in 1952, just missing the Korean Conflict. After a medical discharge, he got back to work in addition to becoming involved with the Milburn Community Church which led to his enrollment at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. While there, the school filmed a movie titled Red Runs the River. Bob was put in charge of handling horses due to his cowboy background and can be seen with a full beard in several scenes of the film.
Bob enrolled in the Western Bible Institute in Morrison, Colorado next, while training colts working for J&J Palomino Horse Ranch owned by Jack Janowicz. It was around this time he met the love of his life, Joan Bailie of Broken Bow, Nebraska. They were married in 1966 while Bob was employed with the Dick Towns Ranch north of Broken Bow. It was a short time later that the two purchased a ranch west of Broken Bow where they raised cattle and resided for more than 55 years.
Bob rode bulls and bucking horses at area rodeos for many years and worked several years for the Hollenbeck Brothers Rodeo Company, despite an otherwise busy life. He began to clown and fight bulls as well, which he did for quite some time. In fact, he was the first to receive an award buckle for the Best Rodeo Clown at the Hyannis Old Timers Rodeo. Bob’s friend and neighbor Frank Anderson wrote a song titled A Tribute to Bob to commemorate Bob’s work as a rodeo clown (see below).
Woodward believed the rodeo crowd should be entertained even if doing so was a bit dangerous. Today, a photo of Bob from 1978 hangs in the Hyannis Hotel showing him dressed in women’s clothes and a wig riding a bareback horse. In his hand is a dainty-looking parasol which he released just as the photo was taken.
Although Bob and Jo did not have children of their own, he had a heart for kids. Alongside Gary Walker and Tom Johnson a ministry was started to share Christ with kids who wanted to do rodeo, called Rodeo Bible Camp. Started in 1975, two camps existed in LaGrange, Wyoming and at the Woodward Ranch. The work eventually expanded to 20 states in addition to Canada and Brazil.
Bob also occupied his ranching days as ring-man at the Central Nebraska Commission Company cattle sales and as Deputy Sheriff of Custer County during the tenure of Sheriff Neil fink.
Bob and Jo kept their cattle longer than most friends and family thought they should until age and health needs required they become residents of Brookstone View in Broken Bow.
Woodward passed away last month at the age of 93. It was two days before his passing that it was learned he would be an inductee into the Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame.
The 21st annual Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony is June 6 at the 4-H building at the Cherry County Fairgrounds in Valentine. Tickets go on sale April 1 and the public is encouraged to attend.
To purchase tickets (preferably by June 3), contact Rod Palmer at 402-387-2212 or at PO Box 127 Ainsworth, NE 69210 or by emailing Tiffany Barthel at [email protected]
Those wishing to donate items for the benefit auction can contact Palmer, Barthel, or Bret Younkin at 402-760-0833.
A Tribute to Bob, by Frank Anderson
Here is a story that’s never been told,
About a rodeo clown and bullfighter;
There at the chute you could see him around,
Down at the rodeo grounds.
He is a happy, go-lucky cowboy,
Taking the bulls from the riders;
Telling a joke just to hear the crown roar,
Down at the old rodeo.
Big baggy britches and dirty white sneakers,
An old felt hat and a broom,
With a prayer on his lips and his feet on the ground,
He is a rodeo clown.
A big Brahma bull comes out of the chute,
A cowboy is in for a ride;
Whirling and kicking and stirring up dust,
That rider is hung at his side.
The bullfighter is there to take that bull,
Until the cowboy could let go,
A difficult job but it’s got to be done,
Down at the old rodeo.
