Casey Tibbs

Q: When did Casey Tibbs die?

Casey Tibbs died on January 28, 1990.

Q: How old was Casey Tibbs when they died?

Casey Tibbs was 60 years old at the time of death.

Q: What was Casey Tibbs's cause of death?

The cause of death of Casey Tibbs was bone cancer.

Casey Duane Tibbs (March 5, 1929 – January 28, 1990) was an American professional rodeo cowboy and actor.

Life and career

Tibbs was born to John F. Tibbs (1886–1948) and Florence M. Tibbs (1889–1974) in rural Orton, northwest of Fort Pierre in Stanley County in central South Dakota. He was of English descent. As a rodeo cowboy, he competed in the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) and held the "World All-Around Cowboy Champion" title twice, in 1951 and 1955. He won in 1949, 1951–1954, and 1959, the world saddle bronc riding championship in 1951 world bareback bronc riding championship. He was featured on the October 22, 1951 cover of Life magazine.

He moved to Ramona, California in 1976 to raise and breed horses. After battling bone cancer and then lung cancer for about a year, he died at his home in Ramona, while watching the 1990 Super Bowl. He is interred at the Scotty Philip Cemetery in Fort Pierre, South Dakota.

Selected filmography

After his successful rodeo career, Tibbs became a stunt man, stunt coordinator, technical director, livestock consultant, wrangler, and actor for the film industry. He wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the film Born to Buck.

Actor:
- Bronco Buster (1952) as Rodeo Rider
- Screen Director's Playhouse (1956, Episode: "Partners") (with Brandon deWilde) as himself
- Bus Stop (1956) as himself (uncredited but announced by rodeo announcer)
- To Tell the Truth (1957) as himself (uncredited)
- Wild Heritage (1958) as Rusty (trail boss)
- The Ann Sothern Show (1959, Episode: "Katie and the Cowboy")
- Tales of Wells Fargo (1961, Episode: "Town Against a Man") as Sheriff Jim Hogan
- Tomboy and the Champ (1961) as Himself
- A Thunder of Drums (1961) as Trooper Baker
- Stoney Burke (1962–1963) as Rodeo Judge
- The Rounders (1965) as Rafe
- Branded (1965, TV Series) as The Cowboy
- Gunpoint (1966) as Dealer (uncredited)
- The Rounders (1966, TV Series) as Folliat / Buck / 3rd Posseman
- The Monroes (1967, Episode: "To Break a Colt") (uncredited)
- A Time for Dying (1969) as Southerner's Sidekick
- The Young Rounders (1972)
- Junior Bonner (1972, rodeo coordinator) as Parade Grand Marshal (uncredited)
- Climb an Angry Mountain (1972, TV Movie) as Buck Moto
- The Waltons (1974, Episode: "The Conflict") as Flagman
- Breakheart Pass (1975) as Jackson
- More Wild Wild West (1980, TV Movie) as Juanita's brother (final film role)
Stunts:
- A Thunder of Drums (1961) (stunts) (uncredited)
- The Rounders (1965) (stunts)
- Gunpoint (1966) (stunts) (uncredited)
- The Plainsman (1966) (stunts) (uncredited)
- Texas Across the River (1966) (stunt coordinator) (uncredited)
- Firecreek (1968) (stunts) (uncredited)
- Heaven with a Gun (1969) (stunts) (uncredited)
- The Cowboys (1972) (stunts) (uncredited)
- Once Upon a Texas Train (1988) (TV) (stunt coordinator)
Director:
- The Young Rounders (1966)
- Born to Buck (1966; and producer)

Tributes

Annual Casey Tibbs Ramona Roundup in Ramona, California
28-foot-tall bronze likeness, ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Ian Tyson wrote a song about Tibbs for the album I Outgrew the Wagon
Mentioned in the film Smokey and the Bandit
Mentioned in the film Cotter
Mentioned in the Chris LeDoux song "Back when we was kids".
Cole Elshere plays the role of Casey Tibbs in "Floating Horses – The Life of Casey Tibbs".
In 1979, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, the highest honor in rodeo.