Thanks For The Music

Billy Bob’s Texas partner Billy Minick’s years and years in the rodeo business have been recognized with the highest honor. Minick, a stock contractor, was enshrined in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Aug. 4, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The gravity of the honor wasn’t lost on Minick, who was short on words when he received the phone call that he was being inducted – he hadn’t had time to process his new place in immortality. “It took my breath away at first,” said Minick, 79. “I got a few tears. To be among those guys, even the past and the present and future cowboys, it’s kind of like that famous old quote that’s been said by all the cowboys, and even in song: ‘All I ever wanted to be was a cowboy.’”

Minick began his professional rodeo career in 1959, enlisting in the Rodeo Cowboys Association after winning titles in both high school and college. His first ProRodeo was the Mesquite (Texas) Championship Rodeo. At the peak of his rodeo career, Minick qualified for the National Finals Rodeo as a bull rider in 1966. That season he finished fourth in the world standings. Although Minick reached the NFR as a contestant, that wasn’t his calling. Being a stock contractor was.

In 1968, Minick purchased the Harry Knight Rodeo Company from Knight and legendary entertainer Gene Autry. The Billy Minick Rodeo Company produced top NFR bucking stock from 1968-76, including saddle bronc horse Streamer in 1972 and the bull Tiger in 1973. Tiger, considered one of the rankest bulls of all time, also won Bull of the Year in 1974. Minick also had other noteworthy stock, including bareback horse Payload and other horses Lonesome, Crazy 1 and My Fair Lady, and bulls V61 and Mr. Bubbles.

Through the years, Minick helped to produce rodeos such as the Fort Worth (Texas) Stock Show and Rodeo, Rodeo Houston, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, the Santa Rosa Roundup (Vernon, Texas), and Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days.

Minick, who was born Jan. 10, 1939, in Fort Worth, Texas, is recognized as being instrumental in bringing the historic Fort Worth Stockyards back to prominence. Minick also hosted the inaugural Justin Cowboy Crisis fundraiser with John Justin and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. Minick was a PRCA Winston Tour team sponsor and produced two Winston Tour events in Fort Worth.