Quail Dobbs (27 August 1941 in

Albany, Texas Albany is a city in Shackelford County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,034 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Shackelford County. History Established in 1873, Albany was named by county clerk William Cruger after his former ...

– 15 January 2014 in

Coahoma, Texas Coahoma ( ) is a town in Howard County, Texas, United States. The population was 817 at the 2010 census, down from 932 at the 2000 census. Geography Coahoma is located in eastern Howard County at (32.296443, –101.304738). Interstate 20 runs ...

) was a famous

rodeo clown A rodeo clown, bullfighter (in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) or rodeo protection athlete, is a rodeo performer who works in bull riding competitions. Originally, the rodeo clown was a single job combining "bullfightin ...

and performer, inducted into the

ProRodeo Hall of Fame The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, p ...

in 2002. His parents were Acie and Avis Dobbs, and his childhood was marked by many moves. In the late 1950s, the family moved to Colorado City. In 1964, Dobbs married a high school classmate named Judy, and the couple had two children, Stephanie and Coley. In 1972, he made his acting debut as a rodeo clown in the movie

J. W. Coop ''J. W. Coop'' is a 1972 American Western film set in the world of the modern American rodeo circuit. It stars and was directed by Cliff Robertson who also co-produced and co-scripted the film. Featuring footage from actual rodeo events, it wa ...

. Dobbs began his career in rodeo by riding bulls and bareback horses, and in 1962 began work as a barrelman. During his career he performed on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He was named PRCA Clown of the Year twice in 1978 and 1988 and the

Coors Coors Brewing Company, or Coors, is now part of the Molson Coors Beverage Company. Coors may also refer to: Companies *Adolph Coors Company, a former holding company controlled by the heirs of founder Adolph Coors *Coors Brewers, the UK arm of th ...

Man in the Can four times in 1985, 1986, 1990 and 1993. He was one of only three men to work as both a

bullfighter A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activity ...

and barrelman at the

National Finals Rodeo The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier rodeo event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The NFR showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money-winners in the season for each event. The NFR is held each year in the f ...

, and also worked seven times as a barrelman for the Wrangler Bullfight Tours Final. He also worked 28 times at the

Cheyenne Frontier Days Cheyenne Frontier Days is an outdoor rodeo and western celebration in the United States, held annually since 1897 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It bills itself as the "World's Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration." The event, claimed to be one of ...

in Wyoming, and the 1998 Frontier Days marked Dobbs' last appearance in professional rodeo. After his retirement, he became justice of the peace in

a position he held until his passing in 2014.

Honors

* 2002

Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, p ...

* 2002

Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame in Fort Worth, Texas, dedicated to the sport of rodeo. History This hall of fame was founded by Johnny Boren. Also contributing to the foundation were a group of Belton, Texas, ...

* 2003

Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, a western, historical museum in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, "honors those men and women who have shown excellence in the business and support of rodeo and the western lifestyle in Texas." The Hall of Fame ...

* 2003 Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame * 2004

Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame The Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame is a hall of fame in Pecos, Texas, dedicated to the sport of rodeo. History In 2004, the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame held its first induction. They used the courtyard of the West of the Pecos Museum. The hall of fame ...

* 2011

Texas Trail of Fame The Texas Trail Hall of Fame is a cowboy hall of fame in Fort Worth, Texas. Established in 1997, the building is located at 208 N.W. 24th Street, in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District of the city. The hall honors individuals ...

* 2021

Bull Riding Hall of Fame The Bull Riding Hall of Fame, located at Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, is a hall of fame for the sport of bull riding. It is incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of Texas, ...

References

External links

No Clowning in This Court
Quail Dobbs in ''American Profile'' magazine {{DEFAULTSORT:Dobbs, Quail American male equestrians American clowns People from Albany, Texas Rodeo clowns 1941 births 2014 deaths ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees Bull Riding Hall of Fame inductees