Baby Doll Combs facts for kids
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| Breed | American Quarter Horse |
|---|---|
| Discipline | Rodeo |
| Sire | Oklahoma Star Jr |
| Grandsire | Oklahoma Star P-6 |
| Dam | Miss Boctick |
| Maternal grandsire | Bert |
| Sex | Mare |
| Foaled | 1947 |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Bay |
| Breeder | H. M. Boetick |
| Owner | Willard Combs Bill Odum |
| Honors | |
| Honors | |
| American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame ProRodeo Hall of Fame |
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Baby Doll Combs (1947–1960) was a famous Quarter Horse mare. She was a true star in the sport of rodeo. Baby Doll was so good that she was later honored in two special places: the AQHA Hall of Fame and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
Meet Baby Doll Combs
Baby Doll Combs was born in 1947. She was a beautiful bay mare, which means she had a reddish-brown coat with a black mane and tail. She was bred by H. M. Boetick in Iowa. Later, a steer wrestler named Willard Combs bought her. He paid $3,200 for her in 1955. That was a lot of money back then!
Willard Combs didn't just ride Baby Doll himself. He also let other steer wrestlers use her in their competitions. In return, he would get a share of their prize money. This shows how valuable and trusted Baby Doll was in the rodeo world.
Rodeo Star
Baby Doll Combs became a legend in the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA). This organization is now known as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). She was especially good at steer wrestling, also called "bulldogging." In this event, a cowboy on horseback chases a steer, then jumps off to wrestle the steer to the ground.
Baby Doll was amazing at helping cowboys win. In 1955, Willard's younger brother, Benny Combs, won the World Steer Wrestling Championship with Baby Doll. Then, in 1957, Willard Combs himself won the World Steer Wrestling Championship while riding her!
But it wasn't just the Combs brothers who won with her. In 1957, when Willard won his title, Baby Doll also carried the cowboys who finished second, third, fourth, and fifth in the standings! This shows how many top cowboys relied on her.
A famous rodeo cowboy named Bill Linderman once said, "Baby Doll knew bulldogging better than some of the guys who rode her." This means she was incredibly smart and understood her job perfectly.
Baby Doll was a strong horse, weighing about 1,030 pounds. She stood about 14.1 hands tall, which is a bit shorter than some horses. Being a shorter horse was actually a good thing for steer wrestling, as it meant the cowboy was closer to the steer when jumping off.
A Lasting Legacy
Baby Doll Combs earned a lot of money for the cowboys who rode her. Between 1953 and her death in 1960, she helped them win over $400,000 in prize money!
Sadly, Baby Doll Combs passed away in 1960. She was at a rodeo in Kansas, but her owner, Willard Combs, brought her back to his ranch in Oklahoma to be buried. Many cowboys who had won money because of her were there to say goodbye. A picture of them at her graveside was even in Life Magazine.
Baby Doll Combs' incredible achievements were remembered for a long time. In 1979, she was one of the very first horses inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Later, in 2004, she was also inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame. She truly was one of the greatest rodeo horses ever!
Family Tree
Baby Doll Combs had a famous family. Her father was named Oklahoma Star Jr, and her mother was Miss Boctick. Her grandfather on her father's side was Oklahoma Star P-6, another very famous horse.
