Empty Saddles: Jack Roddy, 1937-2025
California’s Legendary Cowboy
By Dee Yates
There’s a special quiet that settles when a California cowboy takes his final ride. On March 2, 2025, we lost Jack Roddy – a native son whose presence filled arenas across the Golden State and beyond. With heavy hearts but grateful memories, we honor a man who wasn’t just a champion, but a visionary who helped build professional rodeo as we know it today.
Born in 1937 in San Francisco, Jack’s journey began on the family ranch near Colma. His connection to the East Bay’s ranching heritage ran deep. Despite his father’s resistance to rodeo, the arena called to this California native. At 14, Jack entered his first RCA competition, winning $90 in the wild horse race – the start of an extraordinary career. During his Cal Poly days, Jack captured both the All-Around Champion and World Champion Intercollegiate Steer Wrestling titles in 1959. A champion was emerging.
Jack’s powerful style transformed steer wrestling in the 1960s, bringing world championships in 1966 and 1968 home to California. The Salinas arena – Jack’s favorite rodeo – saw him win in ’62, ’64, and ’66. While his success took him to Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1971 and rodeos from Fort Worth to San Antonio, Jack’s heart stayed in California soil. His wins at Reno, San Francisco’s Cow Palace, and Hayward’s Rowell Ranch Rodeo showed his dominance at home. In California arenas, Jack represented our state’s Western heritage. As a Rodeo Cowboys Association board member and steer wrestling director for 16 years, he fought for the sport’s advancement. His vision helped turn rodeo from weekend entertainment into a professional powerhouse.
Jack’s legacy extends past championships. His 1979 induction in the inaugural ProRodeo Hall of Fame class speaks to his impact. The National Cowboy Museum welcomed him in 1997, while the California Rodeo Hall of Fame and San Jose Sports Hall of Fame proudly claim him as their own. In 2024, Cal Poly Rodeo honored him in their Hall of Fame, recognizing that the young man in green and gold had become a Western heritage icon.
Many knew Jack as the heart of Roddy Ranch south of Antioch. With Donna, his beloved wife, they created more than a home – they built community. Their legendary barbecues welcomed friends and strangers alike. The path wasn’t always smooth. Jack wrestled with local government for his Roddy Ranch development vision. When challenges came – whether bureaucratic hurdles or environmental threats – Jack faced them with arena-tested determination. His greatest victory may have been ensuring their 1,885-acre property would benefit future generations. By selling to the East Bay Regional Park District, they created a lasting legacy as Deer Valley Regional Park – preserving both nature and the Roddy name.
Jack lived the cowboy code daily. When thrown from horses or facing setbacks, he did what cowboys do – got back up and continued forward. His generosity was legendary. The $400,000 raised through Roddy Ranch events helped countless community causes. His work with the Antioch Rotary Club and Sister City programs showed a man who valued community as much as personal achievement.
In 2020, Jack and Donna moved to Stephenville, Texas. Jack made this move with characteristic thoughtfulness, ensuring Donna would have good friends nearby when his time came. As we share stories of the giant who walked among us, we’re reminded that legends live on. Jack’s wisdom still guides young bulldoggers. His business sense still shapes rodeo. When the Roddy homestead becomes a museum, visitors will see the buckles and trophies. But we – his rodeo family – will remember the man behind them. The friend. The mentor. The visionary. The cowboy. Rest easy, Jack. Heaven’s arena has gained its finest competitor.
*From all of us at Ropers Sports News, we extend our sympathy to Donna and Jack’s loved ones. California has lost a rodeo hero, but his East Bay legacy lives on. Share your memories at editor@roperssportsnews.com for our next issue.*
