Bobbie St. Jeor

Inducted 2008

June 19, 1936 - July 2, 2004

Roberta M. "Bobbie" St. Jeor was born in California and moved to Republic, Missouri in 1969. Bobbie became involved with gay rodeo when the Springfield Chapter of the Missouri Gay Rodeo Association was formed in 1991. Bobbie enlisted several Springfield members of the Missouri Gay Rodeo Association to form a rodeo team, participating in calf roping on foot. When her partner of 13 years, Judy Holt, was asked how many buckles Bobbie had won for calf roping on foot, she said "Way too many to count". She served as Springfield chapter secretary until she met Judy and moved to Kansas City. Bobbie immediately became a moving force in the Kansas City chapter of MGRA, serving as president for several years. Bobbie began her role as rodeo director in 1993, serving as assistant rodeo director for the first Show-me State Rodeo.

For each year beginning in 1994 until her death in 2004, Bobbie was the Rodeo Director for the Show-me State Rodeo. She was selected by the MGRA board to be Grand Marshal of the Show-me State Rodeo on several occasions. Bobbie was very dedicated to MGRA's rodeos; always wanting each one to be better than the last. Her fellow MGRA members remember that she led them with a fist of iron, and a heart of gold. Bobbie also served as MGRA Trustee for several terms, always representing her constituency with a look to what was best for the future of MGRA and IGRA. Bobbie's one unfulfilled dream was to compete at her "home" rodeo. To this end, Bobbie had decided to sit 2005 out as Rodeo Director so she could compete at the next Show-me State Rodeo.

Unfortunately, on her way to the North Star Regional Rodeo on July 4 weekend, 2004, Bobbie died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Because of Bobbie's respect for volunteers, MGRA established the "Bobbie St. Jeor Memorial Buckle" in 2004, which is given annually to the outstanding rodeo volunteer.