Keeping the Tradition

By Taylar Carter | PR Committee Volunteer 

Bob Mathews grew up around Cheyenne Frontier Days™. His father was a volunteer on the Indians Committee for many years when Bob was younger.

He attended East High School, and was enrolled in production and media classes. This experience led him to accepting an offer to film interviews during the 100th annual Cheyenne Frontier Days™ rodeo celebration. Bob couldn’t have been more excited or honored to be a part of the show.

He completed his degree at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and relocated back to Cheyenne where he then followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Indians Committee. Bob has been volunteering for 12 years and has been an Indians Committee Lead for the past three years. He is the longest tenured Lead and has experience with everything from the Indian Village to the Pancake Breakfast. The Pancake Breakfast is an event he enjoys more than anything else.

Bob’s father has been a part of a bluegrass/comedy band, and he has played at every Pancake Breakfast for over 40 years. Bob wanted to keep the tradition going, and now he and his father are two of four members of their family band called “Country Club.”

The band not only plays during the Pancake Breakfast, but they also play for the Coronation Ball, the July 4 celebration at Frontier Park, and they travel around to different committee houses and play for them during the show each summer.

“Country Club” also does weddings and parties once the rodeo season has settled. Bob has two sons, 9 and 5, who are both learning to play the fiddle, perhaps with hopes to be a part of the “Country Club” band one day.

Bob loves that his two worlds can join together as one. He stated that, “The biggest part for me is what Frontier Days means to Cheyenne as a whole. Frontier Days is a big part of this town and our culture. There is so much history behind it. You don’t have to be a rodeo fan to enjoy it.” Bob was initiated into the Heels program in 2015. He looks forward to this year’s show as well as many more in the future.