Bill Huber; A Class Act and a Champion's Champion
By Maureen Panno

When you talk sports with someone the conversation always includes the streaks: how many times a certain football team has made it to the Super Bowl, how many times the Yankees have made it to the World Series, how many years the Cubs will go without getting to the World Series, the list goes on and on. But in rodeo, there is one phenomenal streak: how many times Bill Huber has made it to the Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo, taken home the calf roping title and qualified for the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo.

He is the only cowboy to win the Great Lakes Circuit tie-down roping title 20 times, 17 of them in a row. He is the only cowboy to qualify for the first 17 Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeos in a row. Those records are never going to be equaled. Never. I know, I know: never say never. Okay then. Let's just say that no one has ever been able to catch up to Bill yet.

How does he keep his drive and remain the best of the best in the circuit after doing it for so long? He works hard at it every day. "Every day when I'm home, I'm working on the ranch or in the indoor arena throwing a rope and practicing."

"My goal was to win it (the circuit calf roping title) 20 times and I've done that so I'm not going to push it as much as I have in the past." That being said, he isn't going to let the field get too far ahead of him, either. "You can't let them get too far ahead of you in this circuit. There are just too many good calf ropers out there. Troy Amoss went to one of my calf roping schools at my house and he's been doing really good. I guess if I'm going to get beat at it, it might as well be somebody I trained. I try to win every one I rope. Figuring the calf that has a good run in it will be the one I get."

Bill's younger son, Cody, who is twelve, has starting roping calves at amateur rodeos and is doing quite well. At one rodeo in Oklahoma, Cody placed third in the average out of 84 contestants. Looks like the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Cody has promised to give ten percent of everything he wins to his older brother. Justin plays football and takes care of things at home while his brother and dad are off doing rodeos.

Bill says with a father's pride, "I've only gone to 3 rodeos so far this year. I've been concentrating on taking Cody around to his deals. He's really quite good at it."

The price of gasoline and diesel is making it very difficult for contestants to make it to rodeos. "I'm entered for Buffalo, MN, but there's the least amount of calf ropers there that there's ever been. Rodeo committees everywhere are either going to have to come up with more money or there won't be very many guys competing at their rodeos."

I, for one, would be willing to dig a bit deeper in my pocket for the price of a rodeo ticket if it meant the chance to see Bill compete. I hope you give the circuit title one more chase, Bill. It's always fun to watch the best of the best compete. And win. Hope to see you in November.