John Robert “Cub” Forbes

1950-

John Robert “Cub” Forbes was raised on his parents’ ranch, the Bob and Betty Forbes Ranch in Barnum, Wyo.

Forbes got his first horse Smarty Pants, when he was four years old, and he has been working with horses one way or another ever since. He helped on the family ranch and in his dad’s sheep shearing business and also worked for both the Willow Creek Ranch and the Blue Creek Ranch.

By age 15 John was breaking horses and he competed in the bucking horse competition winning the State High School champion saddle in 1968. He was RCA “Rookie of the Year” in 1969. He won the Mountain States Circuit Finals in 1975, 1976, and 1978. During the NFR in 1973, he placed 10th, in 1975, he placed 5th, in 1976 he split 12th and 13th, in 1977 he split 13th and 14th, and in 1978, he placed 14th. He continued to compete until the late 1980s.

John had two sons, Sandy Bob, and Morgan “Mo.” He took the job of raising the boys very serious. He was even a room mother when they were in grade school. The two boys grew up following in John’s footsteps. In 1994 he bought a couple bucking horses for the boys to practice on. Enthusiasm grew among the local boys, which then led to John and his brother Emory buying some more bucking stock. He put on a couple of bronc schools a year and with his brother started the Friday Night Rodeos in Kaycee.

John raised his boys to be cowboys. They have both been High School State Champions in Saddle Bronc Riding. Both made the Mountain States Circuit Finals. Both are members of the PRCA and Morgan made Rookie of the Year.

John started with two bucking horses and currently has a herd of 30 brood mares they are breeding to top bucking stock. One colt they saved, a stud, “Big Dog” and a mare “South Fork” produced a filly “Big Fork” that made the 2013 Wrangler NFR.