Kay was born on August 17, 1955, to Virginia and Bill Proctor in Levelland, Texas. The family moved to Odessa where she grew up with three sisters. She loved to ride horses from an early age. In the 6th grade, she began riding racehorses, becoming the first woman to win a race in Juarez, Mexico.
Kay attended college on rodeo scholarships at Howard Jr. College, in Big Spring, Texas, and Southeastern Oklahoma State, in Durant, Oklahoma. There she earned a teaching degree.
In 1975, as a member of the Girls Rodeo Association, later the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), Kay qualified for her first National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 1994, Kay and The Key Grip (Love) won the prestigious Old Fort Days Futurity in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. They went on to win the Derby, and Super Derby – making them the only duo to win the Triple Crown in barrel racing.
Kay has qualified for the NFR 12 times—1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 on five different horses. In 1996, Kay and Love placed in 9 of 10 rounds, and won the Reserve World Championship. She has qualified for the WPRA Texas Circuit Finals 18 times, winning the Circuit 4 times.
Winning the WPRA’s $100,000.00 race aboard Talent’s Dark Angel in 2006 and the WPRA World Champion title in 2008 were highlights of her career.
Robert and Kay Blandford have been married since 1992. They are both highly respected by their peers and their fans. Kay still actively competes on the futurity and professional level, and they continue to train horses, and help nurture competitors, all from their south Texas ranch, appropriately named, “The Llave.”
