by Leigh Ann Matthews
Oklahoma recently lost a legendary member of the Checotah steer wrestling dynasty. Bill Duvall, one of the originators of the town’s steer wrestling fame, passed away July 13 at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Imogene; son Sam Duvall and his wife, Tami; son Spud Duvall and his wife, Jenny; grandchildren Kadee Marshall and husband Ben, Riley Duvall and wife Megan, Treagan and Taggart Duvall; great-grandchildren Helen, Dottie, Sammie Bell, Chaney and Cruze; brother Roy Duvall and wife, Karen; and sister-in-law Elizabeth Nalley.
Bill started competing in rodeos at 13 years old. His first events were bareback bronc riding and bull riding. He was immediately hooked and soon convinced his younger brother, Roy, to join him. Together, they began entering the bulldogging. Known for having good horses, Bill often mounted out his own horses to other contestants to earn money for his entry fees. Everett Crandell of Henryetta helped them get started on the right track, and the rest is history.
The pair entered junior rodeos early on, but after Bill graduated high school in 1961, they bought their IPRA (International Professional Rodeo Association) cards. Bill bought his RCA (Rodeo Cowboys Association) card in 1965 and rodeoed with Benny Combs, Billy Hale and Jim Painter. In 1966, Bill and Roy joined up again and began a journey that would touch countless lives and rodeo careers, earning Checotah the title of “Steer Wrestling Capital of the World.”
Throughout the 1980s, Bill traveled the rodeo trail with his son Sam, cousin Tom, and fellow cowboys Ote Berry, Rod Lyman, Kurt Butler and Ricky Huddleston. By the 1990s, he was helping his son Spud and the “chocolate milk crew” launch their rodeo careers. Rodeo was Bill’s passion. After years of hazing for cowboys at hundreds of events — including the National Finals Rodeo — he took special pride in cheering on his sons, Sam and Spud, and his grandson, Riley. Whether hazing, training horses or spending long hours in the practice pen, Bill devoted himself to helping the next generation of cowboys succeed.
Photo courtesy of the Duvall family.
Bill was inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 2018. In 1978, Bill and Roy started hosting the Annual Duvall Steer Wrestling Jackpots at Roy’s arena near Checotah, drawing some of the toughest competitors in the sport. Recently celebrating its 46th year, the event is now held at the Checotah Roundup Club Arena under the direction of Spud, Sam and the younger Duvalls.
Bill considered his greatest achievement to be marrying Imogene and his greatest blessing to be his family, which extended far beyond “blood kin.” The couple’s door was always open for friends to stop by for a layover, a glass of iced tea, and conversations about good horses, bulldogging and rodeo. Bill was a gifted storyteller and enjoyed sharing his experience and knowledge wherever he went. He was always just a phone call away, ready to help his cowboy friends out on the road.
The Checotah steer wrestling legacy dates back to 1955, when Benny Combs won his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world title at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), closely followed by his brother, Willard Combs, who won the world title in 1957. Benny and Willard were inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2002.
Roy Duvall qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 24 times, including 21 consecutive years, and won championships in 1967, 1969 and 1972. He was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1978 and the PRCA Hall of Fame in 1979. Bill served as Roy’s number one hazer, and although Bill and his sons, Spud and Sam, never captured a world championship on the dogging side, they helped countless cowboys reach the pay window, earning a reputation as some of the best hazers in the business.
Whether hazing, training horses or spending long hours in the practice pen, Bill devoted himself to helping the next generation of cowboys succeed.
Their cousin, Tom, also qualified for the NFR in 1996 and 1997. Tommy Combs, Teddy Johnson and others also made their marks in the arena as well as several steer wrestling horses from the Checotah area. Baby Doll Combs — a 14.1-hand bay mare owned by Willard — won the hearts of cowboys on the rodeo circuit in the 1950s and was said to “know bulldoggin’ better than some of the guys who rode her.” She was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1979, the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2010. Another Checotah horse, owned by Roy Duvall, was inducted into the PRCA Hall of Fame in 2022. The 1967 chestnut gelding Mighty Eye — aka “Whisky” — was the PRCA Horse of the Year in 1980.
Riley Duvall is keeping the legacy alive and is currently ranked in the top 15 of the PRCA. If he continues to maintain his position, he will qualify for the National Finals Rodeo, marking his fifth trip to Las Vegas. Tom’s son, Nathan, recently finished fourth in the National College Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming, representing Connors State College rodeo team out of Warner. Nathan moved to Alva and will now compete with the Northwestern State rodeo team this season.
The Duvall family continues to bring rodeo fans to the small town of Checotah, not only through the annual jackpot but also with a collection of rodeo clips, interviews and photos available at the Heartland Heritage Museum and Gallery in downtown Checotah. The collection includes other area rodeo icons, including barrel racer Betty Roper of nearby Oktaha and Checotah’s own world-renowned country music singer Carrie Underwood.
