Bob Estes, a fifth generation Texan was born in Baird, Texas in 1920. Bob won practically every major rodeo in the United States and had 13 consecutive winning seasons at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, at the time the big finale for the rodeo circuit. He competed in bareback bronc riding and bull riding at every major rodeo in the nation, including Cheyenne, Denver, Boston, Fort Worth and Houston. In 1940 he was named one of the nation’s top rodeo hands and joined them for a rodeo tour in South America.
In 1943 Bob Estes retired from competition and became, along with his wife Marrianne, rodeo producers. Marianne was a daughter of a Texas rancher and a performer for three years in Madison Square Garden as a ranch glamour girl and in Gene Autry’s Flying A Ranch Rodeo.
Their “Lone Star Rodeo” and known as the “world’s most traveled rodeo”, booked venues in 19 states, as well as in Mexico and Canada. In 1956 their company toured Europe with 125 head of stock and 64 contestants. In 90 days they gave 84 performances to more than a quarter-million uninitiated but exuberant fans.
Lone Star Rodeo livestock was regarded as some of the best in the nation. The string of top bucking horses included the infamous bronc “Crazy One” which Marianne named. “Crazy One”, who came out of North Dakota was used in both the bareback and saddle bronc riding. In the early 1960’s the Estes’ sold their stock including “Crazy One” to Harry Knight. Bob Estes passed away in 2006 at the age of 86.
