Bob Logue Remembered

A friend recently asked me to do some research into Bobby Logue. Seems he couldn't find anything on him in the PRCA web site...so I went to my files (all the old media guides I'd saved through the years).

Bob Logue burst on the PRCA scene as a young California bareback rider in the late 70's.  Heck, he had to compete against Jack Ward and Joe Alexander, Mickey Young and Bruce Ford, but he entered and rode and eventually made the finals in 1979. He'd moved to Texas and didn't just back into the NFR, he wound up 4th in the world standings losing only to Ford, Alexander and Sam Perkins. He was 4th again in 1980, this time seeing JC Trujillo, Ford and Young ahead of him.

In 1981, he moved to 3rd place losing only to Trujillo (JC's only title) and the Hall of Famer Ford. Lesser men may have thrown their hat in the dirt, but not Bobby.  In '82 he lost only to Bruce Ford, who was forever winning titles, wasn't he? I think '82 was the year that Logue placed at 100 rodeos. Imagine that! They weren't paying as much in those days, but still he finished as reserve champion.

It must have been 1983 when Bobby broke his neck. He qualified for the NFR but had to be replaced by TJ Walter and wound up 15th. I was announcing a lot of rodeos in the '80's and I remember seeing Bobby with that halo to stabilize his head and let his neck heal. It was sad, because he was in his prime. The question was simple; could he come back from this injury and compete against all the kids coming out of college? He did, as he also watched young brother Chuck hit the road and begin to succeed (Chuck won the world in 1990).

Bobby moved back into the mainstream and finished 7th in the barebacks in '85, and now had to enter against Marvin Garrett, Clint Corey, Lewis Field, Wayne Herman and Larry Peabody. (All of that crew just mentioned went on to win world titles in their prime). Bobby never rode as well as before his injury. Oh, he was competitive, but by '93 he was done.

Today he lives in Colorado, still has a part in rodeo, and is well respected by his peers. What would he have done without the injury in the middle of his best riding days? Nobody really knows, but Bobby is certainly one of those cowboys who truly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He defined "class", "professionalism" and "heart". I doubt you'll hear him cry about it...he is a cowboy after all and in the end, that's probably enough for him.