EVENTS
All-Around Champion Cowboy, 1946
One of California’s greatest rodeo champions, Gene Rambo was born in 1920 at San Miguel. Learning to break colts as a child, he quickly advanced to more challenging activities, and at age 17 he entered his first rodeo at Cambria, California, as a bull rider.
Over his career, Gene Rambo excelled at all of rodeo’s five events, but he specialized in saddle bronc riding and calf roping. Strength, balance and style were hallmarks of his performance, and his skills made him the RCA’s top all-around hand in 1946. Through 1948, 1949, and 1950 he stayed among the top five all-around cowboys. Rambo won the IRA all-around championship four times, as well.
After retiring from the arena, Gene Rambo owned and operated a cattle ranch near Shandon, California. He died in 1988 as a result of a shooting accident.
