The Energizer Bunny that beats his drum across our television screens and the Timex Watch ad from the past that boasted after the watch had been dunked in water and run over by a truck “And it keeps on ticking!” have nothing on Hub Hubbell. He’ll be ninety years ‘young’ later this year and he is still making cowboy history.
The Sarasota, Florida, cowboy has been in the rodeo and wild west business for over sixty years. He knew he would be a cowboy very early in life and has never varied from it. “Been there and done that” could be his motto, but unlike most people who make that remark, he’s still there and still doing it. Presently he is wearing a neck brace due to an injury he sustained when his horse fell in a hole earlier this spring, took a tumble, and fell on Hub, breaking three bones in his neck. Despite this recovery period you will find Hub every day working with his pony, Silver, who he has taught to paint! Yes, that is right, PAINT. Silver takes the brush in his mouth and makes the most interesting pictures when Hub yells, “Get it! Get it!” The white six-year-old steed raises his head up and down in short strokes making the most interesting modern art. I have several hanging in my office.
Hub was born in Seymour, Connecticut, but spent much of his early life in Florida, on a ranch. He began his competitive rodeo career riding broncs and roping calves. He admits he wasn’t very good at either event but he did win from time to time. His first rodeo buckle was won at a New Haven, Connecticut rodeo.
During World War II he joined the cavalry but was assigned to air corp. He did take care of horses at Valdosta, Georgia, for two years of his military duty. When he was released he went back to cowboying. At a Virginia rodeo, the announcer had a little too much to drink and Hub filled in. That was the beginning of a very lucrative career as he announced rodeos for many years, including six Madison Square Garden rodeos, the National Finals on radio for several states, the rodeo at Cowtown, New Jersey, which was one of the first televised rodeos, and numerous wild west shows as well. Clem McSpadden hired him to do advanced publicity for rodeos in Oklahoma. At that time Hub had a panel truck with loud speakers on the top, which he would announce the up-coming rodeo as he would drive up an down the major streets of the town.
Hub taught himself to trick rope and it wasn’t long before he was performing in rodeos as a trick roper. During a rodeo parade in Ocala, Florida, 1952, he roped a beautiful by-stander. The beauty was Eunice whom he married while on horseback in front of 2,500 fans at the Diamond B Wild West Show in Ocala. Eunice worked along side Hub and often was part of his act. For many years the couple spent summers performing in the Adirondack Mountain of New York where many rodeos and wild west shows were held, then went back to Sarasota and worked the southern venues during the winter.
Hub has always been an entrepreneur in the western world. He is an idea man that often can’t sleep until he develops a new act or idea. In the east stores carrying western attire were few and far between. He sold western wear for a while at rodeos out of the back of a truck. While working with the Fairfax, Virginia, rodeo committee he decided to ride his horse to Washington D. C. and present an invitation to the Fairfax event to President Lyndon Johnson. His adventure made the Washington Post newspaper. He has doubled for “Red Ryder” of comic book, movie and television fame, Gary Cooper in the movie, “Springfield Rifle” and Will Rogers at the National Finals Rodeo one year. Presently he has a replica of an antique chuckwagon that he takes to various venues in his area of the country, dresses in 1880s clothing and tells about the early days when the chuckwagon was a mainstay for cowboys on trail drives or herding and doctoring cattle, the brand they used and other interesting information.
Hub has many talents as you can see, however, his best may be an innate ability to train horses. He has trained horses to do tricks almost all his life. Presently he has a 30 year old white Arabian named Chief Silver Eagle. Hub has taught his to do numerous tricks including to bow, shake, count, spin a rope and to sing. Hub’s earlier horses were just as talented. Okie, whom he purchased from Leon Adams in the early 1970s, made a movie in Montana called “Rodeo Red and the Runaway”, and was in several commercial at the Belmont Race Track in New York. “He was another Mr. Ed,” explained Hub. Another horse the Hubbells owned was Ruskin, who they bought for $175. Hub taught him tricks, and could rope calves on him. Eunice ran barrels on him and won numerous trophy buckles. Today, Hub takes Chief Silver Eagle and the artistically talented, Silver, wherever he is hired to perform.
Most people within a month or so of reaching the age of ninety are at least sitting on the porch rocking and enjoying a cool glass of tea for a spell, but not Hub Hubbell. He would rather be hired to perform rope tricks, talk about the west and how it used to be, explain the workings of an old chuckwagon, or put his talented horses through their paces.
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