EVENTS
Calf Roper
Born in March of 1925, Buddy Groff was raised on a ranch near San Antonio, Texas. He started competing in jackpot ropings in the local area when he was 14 years old. A very accomplished high school athlete, Groff declined a try-out offer from the Saint Louis Cardinals baseball team, as he preferred to pursue ranch work and roping.
Buddy Groff entered professional rodeo competition in 1945 at Uvalde, Texas, where he won the calf roping event. Over the ensuing years, he captured roping titles at Houston, Cheyenne, Saint Louis, Madison Square Garden, Boston, Burwell, Sidney, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City and Ogden, Boise and Nampa, and Spokane. In 1954 and 1956, Groff was the runner-up for the RCA Champion Calf Roper title.
Before his professional retirement in 1959, Groff contended in, and often won, many match calf ropings with rodeo greats like Toots Mansfield, Dean Oliver, Tom Nesmith, Jim Bob Altizer and Don McLaughlin. Buddy Groff now lives and ranches in Hondo, Texas.
Deceased 2015
