Casey Tibbs

Casey Duane Tibbs (March 5, 1929–January 28, 1990) was an American cowboy, rodeo performer, and actor.

Life and career

Tibbs was born to John F. Tibbs (1886-1948) and Florence M. Tibbs (1889-1974) in rural Orton northwest of Fort Pierre in Stanley County in central South Dakota. He was of English descent. He held the "World All-Around Rodeo Champion" title twice, in 1951 and 1955. He won in 1949, 1951–1954, and 1959, the world saddle bronc riding championship and in 1951 world bareback bronc riding championship. He was featured on a 1951 cover of Life magazine.

He moved in 1976 to Ramona, California, to raise and breed horses. After battling bone cancer and then lung cancer for about a year, he died at his home in Ramona, while watching the 1990 Super Bowl. He is interred at the Scotty Philip Cemetery in Fort Pierre, South Dakota.^[1]

Selected filmography

After his successful rodeo career, Tibbs became a stunt man, stunt coordinator, technical director, livestock consultant, wrangler, and actor for the film industry. He wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the film Born to Buck.

• Actor:
  • Bronco Buster (1952) as Rodeo Rider
  • Screen Director's Playhouse (1956), "Partners", as himself with Brandon deWilde
  • To Tell the Truth (1957) as himself
  • Wild Heritage (1958) as Rusty (trail boss)
  • The Ann Sothern Show in "Katie and the Cowboy" (1959)
  • Tales of Wells Fargo (1 episode: "Town Against a Man" 1961) as Sheriff Jim Hogan
  • Tomboy and the Champ (1961) as himself
  • A Thunder of Drums (1961) as Trooper Baker
  • Stoney Burke as Rodeo Judge in "Point of Honor" (1962) and as himself in "Kincaid" (1963)
  • The Rounders (1965) as Rafe
  • Branded (2 episodes: "Romany Roundup": Part 1 and 2 1965)
  • The Young Rounders (1966)
  • The Rounders (TV series) as Folliat (1 episode: "Four Alarm Wing Ding" 1966)
  • The Monroes (1 episode: "To Break a Colt" 1967)
  • Junior Bonner (1972) (uncredited actor and rodeo coordinator) as Parade Grand Marshal
  • Climb an Angry Mountain (1972) (TV) as Buck Moto
  • The Waltons as Flagman (1 episode: "The Conflict" 1974)
  • Breakheart Pass (1975) as Jackson
  • More Wild Wild West (1980) (TV) as Juanita's brother
• Stunts:
  • A Thunder of Drums (1961) (stunts) (uncredited)
  • The Rounders (1965) (stunts)
  • Gunpoint (1966) (stunts) (uncredited)
  • The Plainsman (1966) (stunts) (uncredited)
  • Texas Across the River (1966) (stunt coordinator) (uncredited)
  • Firecreek (1968) (stunts) (uncredited)
  • Heaven with a Gun (1969) (stunts) (uncredited)
  • The Cowboys (1972) (stunts) (uncredited)
  • Once Upon a Texas Train (1988) (TV) (stunt coordinator)
• Director:
  • The Young Rounders (1966)
  • Born to Buck (1966; and producer)

Tributes

• Annual Casey Tibbs Ramona Roundup in Ramona, California
• 28-foot-tall bronze likeness, ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Ian Tyson wrote a song about Tibbs for the album I Outgrew the Wagon
• Mentioned in the film Smokey and the Bandit
• Mentioned in the film Bus Stop.
• Cole Elshere is set to portray Casey Tibbs in the upcoming documentary film "Floating Horses".^[2]

References

External links

• Casey Tibbs bio from his own website
• Casey Tibbs' championship list
• Casey Tibbs at the Internet Movie Database
• Casey Tibbs at Find a Grave