Bill Smith grew
up in Bear
Creek, Montana
born in 1941.
He moved to
Cody, Wyoming as
a teenager,
after many years
of failure,
broken bones,
and living out
of his car, he
rose to become a
three-time World
Champion Saddle
Bronc rider. He
distinguished
himself from
other cowboys
because he
wasn't prone to
drunken
carousing after
a win. He
wasn't a
particularly
stylish rider,
he just got the
job done. He
carefully
studied horses,
keeping track of
their moves in a
notebook so that
he knew what to
expect when he
rode them at
each rodeo.
This is
something that
no one else at
the time did.
Bill was
destined to love
horses, he grew
up in a horsey
place in a very
horsey time.
The town had no
fences and a boy
could ride any
horse that he
could catch. In
1951, when Bill
was 10 he snuck
in and watched
home town World
Champion Bill
Linderman in the
saddle bronc
riding. This is
what changed his
life, he aspired
to be a great
bronc rider like
his idol. When
he was a
teenager he
began to compete
in the local
rodeo at the
home of Buffalo
Bill in Cody,
Wyoming. It was
a rodeo that was
hosted every
night of the
week. In 1961,
he was good
enough that he
bought a
membership in
the Rodeo Cowboy
Association.
This allowed him
to enter
sanctioned
contests around
the country.
Smith's career
got off to an
auspicious start
at Cheyenne
Frontier Days
where he took
1st place in
saddle bronc
riding, and won
rookie of the
year title. He
had his ups and
downs throughout
his bronc riding
career, but the
reward was three
world
championships.
While Bill was
still rodeoing
in the early
1970's, he and a
few friends
attended a Ray
Hunt clinic in
Montana. Bill
never forgot the
seed that was
planted by Ray's
philosophy and
unique way of
working with the
horse. Over the
years, he and
Ray became good
friends,
and Bill will
always be
appreciative of
the mentorship
that he gleaned
from Ray. When
he retired from
bronc riding he
established a
new career as a
horse breeder
and trainer with
his wife Carol.
They live in
Thermopolis,
Wyoming and have
a large horse
sale in May
and September of
every year.
Visit
www.wyohorses.com
for more
information
about the horse
sales.
