Bud HumphreyA nationally-known champion cowboy from Bell County who thrilled fans for years at the annual Belton Fourth of July Rodeo waited until the 2010 rodeo closed Saturday night to take his final ride. C. H. "Bud" Humphrey died peacefully at age 86 early on July 4 at Olin E. Teague Veteran's Center following an extended illness. His wife of 50 years, Donna, was at his bedside.

Funeral services for Mr. Humphrey will be held this afternoon at 2 p.m. at Dossman Funeral Home in Belton with Rev. Arthur Washburn officiating. Burial will follow at the Hillcrest Cemetery in Temple.

A dinner served by the ladies of the church will be held afterward in the fellowship hall of the Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ in Belton.

Born January 31, 1924, in Belton to Paul and Mamie Alice Shumate Humphrey, Bud started riding bulls at about 16 years of age and three years later began to ride bareback horses, too. In his first rodeo that he entered in Crawford, the young cowboy won the bullriding event and pocketed a whopping $17. In his illustrious 25-year career on the professional rodeo circuit across America, Humphrey, or "Texas Bud" as he was often called by his rodeo friends, won much bigger paydays as well as the respect and friendship of fellow cowboys and fans everywhere he went.

He joined the Turtle Cowboy Association in 1943; Texas Rodeo Association; the Southwestern Rodeo Association where he was Champion Bareback Bronc Rider of the Year in 1950 and 1951; was a Gold Card member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association; the Old Time Rodeo Cowboys Association; Historical Rodeo Association and the Cowboy Alumni Association.

Humphrey quit riding bulls around 1960 and rode his last bareback bronc in 1965. He did enter the bullriding one more time, just for fun, at an Old Timers Rodeo in 1975 in Temple.

Humphery was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1995 and in 2001 was named to the "Ring of Honor" that honors the Belton-area rodeo cowboys who have competed for many years.

Humphrey's biggest shows were at Madison Square Garden in 1954 and Chicago in 1947.

Among the numerous amateur rodeos in which he entered and won events early in his career, Humphrey captured the All-Around titles in Bareback Broncs, Bulls and Saddle Bronc competition at a Wharton rodeo in 1950.

Lesley Mueller, owner of M.M. Rodeo Stock of Yorktown, named a bucking horse "Texas Bud" after Humphrey who was the first cowboy that ever tried to ride him.

He's been in a couple of books and on postcards and his picture coming out of the chute on a bull at the Belton Rodeo was on the front of a Texas state road map. Then-Governor of Texas, George W. Bush wrote a personal letter to the Rodeo Hall of Fame and Humphrey recognizing, "Texas cowboys who have excelled in the sport of rodeo". The governor wrote, "From Ike Thacker to Les Hood to Bud Humphrey, Texas cowboys have exhibited superior skills and Texas traits of determination and a committment to excellence."

Besides the rodeo profession, Humphrey trained horses, sold horses and tack, drove long distance mail trucks for Hershal Bland and Centex Beverage in Austin.

He and his wife, the former Donna Christopher who has roots in Temple, built a home and moved to China Spring in 1980. He retired from Centex Beverage in 1984.

Humphrey was preceeded in death by his parents, his older brother Paul Humphrey Jr., and daughter Peggy Kristopherson.

Survivors include his wife, son Charles Clinton Humphrey and his wife Linda of Temple, eight grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, one brother Billy Joe Humphrey of China Spring and three sisters Marie Kolls of Belton, Charlotte (Toad) Levi of Deming, N.M and Johnnie Lou Borden of Cleburne.