Meet the Member
Rick and Vicki Robison
story by Magie Downare-Nevius
Rick and Vicki Robison have competed hand-in-hand with the Kansas Professional Rodeo Association (KPRA) off-and-on for approximately 24 years, starting in the early 90s when the organization was known as the Kansas State Rodeo Association. “It’s mostly the people that keep us coming back to the association. They get to be your second family and we look forward to seeing them each week,” said Rick, who is currently sitting in the top 10 of the saddle bronc riding standings. Married for 23 of those years, the couple moved into the 2014 season with high hopes of qualifying for the finals. “It has been a long time since we’ve traveled this hard, but we hope to make the finals with our family by our sides,” said Vicki, who competes in the barrel racing.
Growing up in Phillipsburg, Kan., the Robison s attended the same high school, but their relationship did not start until afterwards. “I found him to be annoying back then,“ joked Vicki. Raised in the equine racing world, where Vicki’s family owned horses on the track and Rick’s family worked on the training side, each individually started competing in the arena around 1980.
Only two years after his start, Rick was crowned the 1982 National Little Britches Rodeo Association world champion saddle bronc rider. From there, he continued to hit the trail hard, climbing on every bronc available and achieving high honors in additional associations such as the KPRA, Mid-States Rodeo Association and the Nebraska State Rodeo Association, where he was crowned the 1992 year-end champion. Around 1996, Rick hung his hack rein and took a 17 year break from his eight-second ride, but returned to the chutes in 2013 to qualify for the KPRA finals and finish seventh in the year-end standings. “I just got the itch again,” he explained of his comeback. The 49-year-old cowboy is now serving his first year as the KPRA saddle bronc riding director. “I want to be able to take all of the best stock from all of the stock contractors that contribute throughout the season to make the best possible KPRA finals,” he said. When he is not rodeoing, Rick makes his living as a horseshoer for feed lot and ranch horses in the area. “He is very busy everyday,” said Vicki.
Switching to a different kind of race horse, Vicki is a six-time saddle winner within the National Barrel Horse Association and is the Kansas district 04 director. Recently retiring her typical money winner, she is currently working on getting some younger horses going and will use her time with the KPRA to do so. In the off-season, Vicki teaches high school art for grades 9-12. “It’s the perfect job. I get my summers off so that I can rodeo,” she explained.
The 25-year Norton, Kan., residents are the proud parents of two children (Daebra, 30 and Casey, 22). While Daebra took on a different path of several different rodeo queen titles, singing the National Anthem at numerous pro shows and serving six years in the U.S. Army, where she was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo., and was a member of the mounted color guard, Casey has begun to follow in his dad’s footsteps and has recently started riding broncs.
Although competition has driven them for most of their married lives, the Robison’s don’t always get the opportunity to travel together, but remain each other’s biggest supporters. “Rough stock riders can hit twice as many rodeos, but we are always there for each other and have a strong family backing on both sides,” they said.
