Legendary Pickup Man and Wyoming Cowboy Kenny Clabaugh Passes Away at Age 78

The humble and quiet cowboy who served for four decades at events like the NHSFR, CNFR, NFR, INFR and more passes away

Clabaugh at his Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame induction ceremony / Sutton Rodeo Facebook Page

One of my least favorite things to write about is the passing of any member of our rodeo family. My heart always hurts for their families and loved ones, because one thing we just cannot get enough of is "time."

My hope is that I can write something that conveys my respect for their memory and the incredible life they lived. Their stories always deserve to be recorded for future generations, because these are the types of individuals that can never be replicated.

For nearly 40 years, a Wyoming cowboy named Kenny Clabaugh served as the first line of defense for rodeo cowboys. From Arvada, in the northeastern corner of the state, Clabaugh was a pickup man who worked the biggest events in rodeo.

He was exceptional at his craft, although he would never outright say any such thing. Throughout those four decades of service, Clabaugh worked the National Finals Rodeo, the Indian National Finals Rodeo, and the College National Finals Rodeo, just to name a few.

Although he retired in 2001, I have read as many of rodeo's finest paid their respects on social media this week. The role of a pickup man was fitting for Clabaugh's personality, from what I understand of the cowboy.

He was quiet and humble, happy to work in one of the most important, but unnoticed, jobs of rodeo. Clabaugh silently saved the day for all of his bronc riding buddies and was more than happy to do it.

That job well done was indeed recognized, as Clabaugh was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2003. He was the second pickup man ever to be given that honor.

We extend our condolences to Clabaugh's family and loved ones, as we remember what this great cowboy accomplished in his lifetime.

The following comes from a press release from the PRCA:

Pickup man Kenny Clabaugh, who was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., in July of 2023, passed away Dec. 31, in Arvada, Wyo. He was 78. Kenny Clabaugh, a native of Arvada, was always known for helping others, whether that was inside the arena or out of it. By nature, Clabaugh wasn't about the spotlight at all, hence his nickname "The Invisible Man." He didn't seek attention nor boast about his accomplishments throughout the years. That was just who he was. However, after being selected as a pickup man for the National Finals Rodeo seven times, he didn't go unnoticed by the ProRodeo Hall of Fame selection committee.

Clabaugh got the call of a lifetime from the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and was inducted. "Oh my gosh, this means everything," Clabaugh said to the ProRodeo Sports News moments after he was selected for induction. "I'm still in a state of shock. I never thought I would ever be close (to being in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame)." Clabaugh was selected to work the NFR in 1983, 1986-88, 1990-91, and 1994. He had the opportunity to pick up a handful of guys who are already in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. The honor makes him only the second pickup man to ever be inducted, joining Charles "Lefty" Wilken, who was inducted in 1999 after 10 trips to the Finals.

Clabaugh started as a pickup man when he was at Casper (Wyo.) College. He was interested in rodeo, but he said he was never good enough to compete. The school's rodeo team needed pickup men and Clabaugh volunteered. That blossomed into a career which saw him become one of the best pick up men in the history of PRORODEO. Clabaugh also spent 20 years working with the National High School Finals Rodeo. The Wyoming cowboy worked many rodeos throughout his ProRodeo career, which came to an end in 2001. He was a pickup man at the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Rapid City, S.D., with partner Steve Sutton for nearly 30 years.

"I always give him credit for being the Master in the pickup man world because he was the best there was," Sutton said. "He always mounted good, and he was just a good friend. We were lifetime partners in that arena. We think we probably picked up close to 20,000 head of horses together. He was all cowboy and the best friend in the world and he would do anything for you. He was very quiet, and he let his actions speak for him. He was smooth. He was the master of the bunch."

ProRodeo Hall of Fame saddle bronc rider Clint Johnson, who won PRCA world championships in 1980 and 1987-89, also shared his thoughts about Clabaugh."I knew Kenny for a long time, and he was well respected and well-loved," Johnson said. "Kenny was a really good pickup man. You didn't notice Kenny because he was always in the right spot. Then when you needed him when something went wrong, he was always there to remedy the situation.Kenny also was a wonderful guy. He was a Wyoming cowboy. He did his job and didn't look for accolades. He tried to do a really good job, and he did."

And Clabaugh was humble about his talent. "The people, the rodeos, the cowboys, it was all good," Clabaugh said. "The key for me was I had good partners and good horses."