EVENTS
Calf Roper
Born near Lanham, Texas, in 1911, Amye Gamblin came from a family of horse trainers. At age 10 he went to work driving cattle at the Fort Worth Stockyards, and seven years later he entered his first rodeo.
An acknowledged master rope handler, Amye Gamblin won or placed at nearly every rodeo in America during his 63-year career. Slim Whaley, a friend and competitor, noted that “Amye used to go three or four years without missing a loop. . . .” He could rope anything; at the Hobbs rodeo in 1936 he even roped a jackrabbit–caught it with the first loop!
Gamblin was the first man ever to tie and rope a calf in under 16 seconds. His unmatched skill brought him trophies at Calgary and at many other venues. In 1973, at age 62, he won the Team Roping Championship at the Old Timers Rodeo. Amye Gamblin raised, trained, and showed champion cutting horses before and during his retirement. He died in 1989 in Tivoli, Texas.
