Courtesy ProRodeo.com
Saddle bronc rider John “Witch” Holman, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in 1970-72, passed away May 29. He was 76.
The charismatic Holman, who was one of the best-liked guys going down the road, finished 11th in the Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings, the precursor to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, in 1970 and was 12th in 1971 and 1972.
“I have known John my whole life and my brother Jim and John were best friends,” said Rick Smith, PRCA’s Supervisor of Pro Officials. “He was one of the best guys. Heart of gold and kind. John was the greatest storyteller I ever heard ever. He had a great memory, and he just had a great way of telling the stories and he had lots of them.
“He will be missed because he was a universally loved guy. He was a guy people gravitated to and he made you feel good when you talked to him.”
ProRodeo Hall of Famer Shawn Davis, a three-time RCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Champion in 1965, 1967 and 1968, recalled some stories he had about Holman.
“John and his dad came to Casper, Wyo., and his dad wanted me to take John and teach him how to ride broncs,” Davis said. “I took him and entered him for a while and he had a lot of talent, a lot of natural ability. John loved to tell stories and he was a great storyteller, and he was a good entertainer and people liked him. He enjoyed life so much and he had an eventful life, and he was quite the character. He liked being part of the fun.”
Rick Smith was a saddle bronc rider who qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 1980-82, 1984 and 1986. His older brother Jim Smith qualified for the NFR in 1969 and their older brother Bill Smith, an RCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Champion in 1969, 1971 and 1973, was inducted into the inaugural class of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1979.
“I think one thing that gets overlooked with John is he was one of the great horseman of our era working with colts,” Rick said. “He also trained and showed cutting horses and he was very good at that and well known for that.”
Holman won his share of rodeos in his career, including the San Antonio Livestock Exposition in 1975, edging Davis by one point in the average.
In 1970, Holman made his debut at the NFR in Oklahoma City, Okla., and placed in three rounds – fourth in Round 2 with a 71-point ride on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s Big Bell, third in Round 5 with a 70-point ride on Bob Barnes’ Cherokee Bra and third in Round 9 with a 72-point ride on Big Bend Rodeo’s Ohio.
In 1971, he won Round 4 with a 73-point ride on Aber Rodeo’s Old Shep and was fourth in Round 5 with a 68-point ride on Korkow Rodeos’ Red Man.
In 1972, he placed fourth in Round 8 with a 71-point ride, and he split second in Round 10 with a 73-point ride on Korkow Rodeos’ Shorty.
That year he finished a career-best fifth in the NFR average with 567 points on nine head.
Holman, a Kaycee, Wyo., native joined the RCA in 1967 and competed in saddle bronc riding and bull riding and earned nearly $6,000. A short time later, he was one of the best saddle bronc riders going down the road from 1970-72.
“He was a great, great bronc rider and you couldn’t buck him off,” Rick said.
Holman was born in Casper, Wyo., Sept. 25, 1947, to parents, Willard and Mary.
Holman started breaking colts on his father’s ranch at the age of 11 and won the state high school saddle bronc title in 1965. In 1966, he placed second in the state in saddle bronc riding and bull riding. He received a scholarship to Casper (Wyo.) Junior College.
Holman was the grandfather to saddle bronc rider Lefty Holman, a three-time NFR qualifier in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
