Popeye Boultinghouse passed peacefully at 86 on Aug. 1, 2024, in Temple, Texas. He didn’t take up team roping until he was 37, but his style earned him billing as “the one-swing king.” Popeye and his wife of 55 years, Jan, opened the doors to their home, arena and hearts to countless cowboys over the years. Four of them—Jake Barnes, Tee Woolman, Rich Skelton and Bobby Harris—just served as honorary pallbearers at Popeye’s memorial service and cowboy sendoff in Llano.
Pretty cool if you start counting gold buckles Popeye had a hand in. Between Jake and Clay (Cooper), Speed (Williams) and Rich, Tee and Bobby, the world team roping title count is 34. Thanks, Popeye. And Jan.
Jake Barnes
“Popeye had a lot of steers and good horses, and he and Jan took me in like family when I was just a little country hick from Bloomfield, New Mexico, who didn’t have two nickels to rub together,” Jake said. “The end of my third year of college, I was staying there with Popeye and Jan when Jan whistled at me down at the barn that I had a phone call. It was Allen Bach. I’d never met Allen, and he was the reigning 1979 world champ. I thought it was a prank.
“At dinner that night, I told Popeye and Jan I wasn’t sure I was ready. They convinced me to go try, and told me I might regret it later in life if I didn’t. I got on the first plane of my life to Colorado Springs, and took my first cab to the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) office and bought my card (that was back before you had to fill your permit, and just needed three signatures vouching for your competence to join the PRCA).
“I give Popeye and Jan all the credit. I’m not saying I never would have made it without them, but without their support and help along the way, I don’t know that I even would have tried it. The first time I experienced riding a good horse was on one of Popeye’s horses. And Popeye was the ultimate coach.”
Tee Woolman
“Popeye and Jan didn’t adopt me, they inherited me,” Tee said. “I lived with them for five or six years, starting when I was 18 or 19. Popeye was like a father/big brother to me, and I looked up to him with respect. He didn’t really lecture me, but he was game to do whatever I wanted to do and help me do it better.
“Popeye was opinionated. He always had an answer for you, no matter what. You could ask him about anything. In the roping world, he was the king of one swing. Always. One steer or 10. That’s just the way he roped. And he had great horses. I rode Popeye’s horses all the time. Popeye was a very influential person in my life. He was one phone call away from anything you needed.”
Bobby Harris
“When I really connected with Popeye was in 1985, when I started roping with Tee,” Bobby said. “He was a helping hand. Popeye and Jan had open arms if you needed anything—a horse, or if your truck was broke down, it didn’t matter, they were there to help. Popeye was just a supportive friend, and the way he treated you made you feel like you’d known him forever.
“You can’t even name how many people Popeye helped, starting with two of the greatest headers of all time in Tee and Jake, who lived there with him and Jan. Jake and Tee were Popeye’s guys—two of his greatest achievements. Popeye was like a dad to them, and Jan was like a mom.
“Popeye loved team roping. And team ropers. And good horses. When team roping started down there in South Texas, Popeye was right in the middle of it. He loved to break it down, and was always coaching on us. Going all the way back, he always told me, ‘Take care of that roan (Roany); one day you’ll miss him.’ He was right, and we laughed about that again a couple weeks before he died. Popeye knew good horses. And he helped so many guys. Don Beasley spent a lot of time there. Guys like Monty Joe Petska. Too many to count. Popeye loved everything about roping, and Popeye was just a great friend.”
Rich Skelton
“I moved in with Tee a few years before we started roping together, and got to know Popeye and Jan through him,” Rich said. “Popeye had a lot of steers and a lot of horses, and we roped there a lot. We were always welcome there, and Popeye helped me with my roping.
“That was all back before cell phones and all the videos we have now. I could call Popeye if I got to roping bad, and he could talk me through it. Popeye could coach you through anything. He would always tell me to ride my horse down the arena and keep speed on my rope. When I was having trouble, those two things were usually part of the problem.
“Popeye studied everything about roping. He understood the mechanics, and told me to watch guys like Don Beasley and Clay. He could help you with your heading or your heeling, it didn’t matter. I rode a lot of Popeye’s heel horses, and we ran a lot of steers in his arena. He had great horses, and he was generous with them. A lot of cowboys owe a lot to Popeye Boultinghouse. Me included.”
Thanks, Popeye.
