Robert Thain

1936 - 2021

Robert Thain
May 27, 1936 - August 2, 2021
Gold Beach, OR
Robert (Bob) Thain passed away peacefully Monday, August 2, 2021, following a brief illness. He was born in Portland, OR on May 27, 1936, to Robert & Thelma. The family moved to a ranch in Walnut Creek, CA a few years later and so began his lifelong "Western Way of Life." He grew up around horses, riding his horse to the meat market in town for his mother and even to school. The family went to the famous Cow Palace Rodeo every year.
Bob attended Acalanes High School where he excelled mainly in football. When he was drafted, he was sent to Germany to play football for the U.S. Army. Upon his return he enrolled at Diablo Valley College, again concentrating on football. Newly married, his wife Marilynn and his father cautioned him that he would need to find a "real" job that would provide a decent income. Bob commented many times that his Pops would never believe the salaries of pro football players.
Bob did go to work for his dad's printing company which made the plates to print milk cartons. He traveled all over the U.S. & Mexico, establishing a printing plant in Mexico to also produce milk cartons. During his travels, he met a man who hired him to sell tickets for his circus company. Promotion suited Bob well so he looked for other opportunities. Along came Mr. Rodeo, Cotton Rosser, thus began Bob's involvement and love of the sport of rodeo.
The "big man in the white hat" lived an adventurous life and had a fulfilling career. Bob originally partnered with Dave Johnson to form Thain & Johnson Enterprises. They were selling tickets to concerts, circus, and racing events when the opportunity to promote rodeo entered the picture. Bob & Dave became the largest rodeo promotion company in the country, producing 30 rodeos in 21 states every year, including Hawaii and Alaska. Based in Santa Cruz, CA, Bob was on the road and in the sky 40 weeks a year, with numerous offices and thousands of temporary staff to oversee. This took a toll on his marriage and he & Marilynn divorced, remaining friends for the rest of his life. Bob enjoyed trap shooting during his limited spare time which is where he met his current wife, Linda, and they shared over 35 years of a wonderful loving relationship. They established their home at their Thom's Creek Ranch in Alturas, CA where they raised longhorn cattle and miniature burrows. They divided time between Reno, the ranch, and a summer home in Gold Beach, OR where they moved full time a few years ago.
Bob and Dave dissolved their partnership and Bob moved his base of operations to Reno, NV, as Bob Thain Productions. In 1985, when the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association was going through tough times, Harry Vold and Shawn Davis asked Bob and Eldon Evans to head the reorganization efforts as Co-Commissioners of the new PRCA. When they took over, volunteering their time, the PRCA was $200,000 in debt. When they left a year later, the organization had 1 million in the bank. For his tremendous contribution, Bob was awarded the PRCA Man of the Year in 1987.
Bob was a people person. His productions always had the fans in mind, with family tickets a priority, and he not only wanted the best stock and contestants but quality singers and entertainment as well. His sponsors were mainly law enforcement and firemen organizations as their fund-raisers, whom he always paid up front, a novel concept that led to years-long relationships of mutual respect and appreciation.
Among his many productions was a rodeo at the Rose Bowl which still holds the record for a one-day rodeo with an attendance of over 52,000. His work with the PRCA led to his involvement with the National Finals Rodeo and their move from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas in 1985.
Bob was Co-Commissioner of the PRCA during their re-organization 1985-86. Bob served on the PRCA Board of Directors for 19 years, 3 as Chairman, 18 years on the NFR Board of Directors, the Executive Director of the Pro Rodeo Stock Contractor's Association, was General Manager of the successful Benny Binion's Bucking Horse & Bull Sale for 8 years and produced the National Senior Finals Rodeo for 5 years. He edited and produced the glossy coffee table book "100 Years of Rodeo Stock Contracting" which sold out and is now a collector's item. He represented the PRCA during the Canadian Finals Rodeo many times and at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics Special Rodeo. Bob produced the 2002 Winter Olympics Rodeo in Ogden, UT, as well as a special production for the world downhill skier championships in 2000. During his years selling tickets for the Reno Rodeo, they increased their production from a 3-day rodeo to their current 10 days. He was honored and proud to be inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame as a Notable in 1999.
Bob was retired from the NFR Board of Directors during a ceremony in the arena in front of 17,000 fans during the 2005 NFR and officially retired from business in 2008 but never stopped his interest and involvement in the sport of rodeo. He leaves behind many treasured friends and admirers in that world.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Mitzi and niece Shari. Bob was a good man and will be sorely missed by his loving wife Linda, her 2 children, 2 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren, his nephew Jon (Laura) Goens, his friend, and his former wife Marilynn (Dave) Zittlow, numerous relatives and long time friends. Bob wanted his legacy to be that he left the rodeo business better than he found it. He would appreciate any contribution honoring his life be made to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, CO. At his direction, there will be no services. Bob will be remembered at a memorial during the National Finals Rodeo in December 2021 in Las Vegas, NV.


View the online memorial for Robert Thain