“Casey Tibbs – Born to Ride” may well be the most effective Western biography yet published. Expertly paced and beautifully written, this book are going to be read for generations to come.
Born within a vacation cabin in South Dakota, the youngest of ten children, Casey Tibbs was crowned premier rodeo rider of his day, winning six saddle bronc titles and nine all-around world champion titles. His saddle bronc riding success just has been matched once, never surpassed, and this was by Dan Mortensen in 1993.
The author, Rusty Richards – a cowboy, singer, and former rodeo performer himself – did a great job of researching and interviewing scores of folks that knew Casey in order to capture the essence of rodeo’s most charismatic performer. By himself from the era of fourteen, Casey rose up in their field. Why is Casey Tibbs stay ahead of so many other talented, athletes in rodeo, however, is that he dined with presidents and heads of state, directed and produced films, directed shows overseas that promoted the West and rodeo, and created a lasting legacy of a person who had been generous to your fault, lived hard, loved hard, and laughed often.
Even though a great deal of the biography is humorous due to Tibbs’ own outstanding humorousness and mischievousness, the writer doesn’t hide or prevent the truth of Casey’s alcohol and gambling addictions. Casey’s bouts with such predilections are understandable given his lifestyle choices. His incisive handling of his problems, however, is not merely laudable, but inspiring, and shows true grit and mettle of your unusual, charming, and enigmatic character. Overall the novel is a significant proof of a person who is worth reading about.
Rodeo and Western fans will relish this biography, but whether one enjoys rodeo or not is beside the point. He, Casey Tibbs, was simply remarkable which is worthwhile to learn about for his merit as a type, generous, outrageously funny, talented human being who helped make rodeo what it’s today. It is a biography that inspires, amuses, saddens, and offers real meaning to determination and grit. Casey Tibbs should have his story told, and Rusty Richards did a great job of accomplishing so.
Tom Jerome is often a Western advocate and enjoys reading and reviewing Western publications.
