By Ron Wilson

Director, Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

Roberts and Rodeo. In the history of the sport of rodeo, those names go together. Not only does this involve four generations of Kansans, the Roberts family created a rodeo-related business which is serving customers worldwide. It's the second in our rodeo series, and it's today's Kansas Profile.

Meet Jim Roberts of Roberts Cowboy Outfitters in Abilene. The Roberts family has a remarkable history in rodeo and rural Kansas, beginning with Jim's grandfather E.C. Roberts. He ranched near Strong City, population 585 people. Now, that's rural. E.C. Roberts raised rodeo stock beginning in the 1920s and `30s. He had a field where they would break buckin' horses, and friends and neighbors started coming out to watch. That was the beginning of what is now the Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City.

Three of E.C. Roberts' children took up rodeo: Margie, Ken and Gerald. They were all riding horses as little kids. Margie went on to be a famous lady saddle bronc rider and trick rider. Ken and Gerald were examples of those tough, old-time rodeo cowboys. For example, Ken learned to ride bulls and horses with either hand, which came in handy in later years. When he would injure his arm or shoulder, like many rodeo cowboys do, he would simply switch to his good hand and keep winning. Ken Roberts was crowned World Champion Bull Rider in 1943, '44 and 45.

Younger brother Gerald Roberts was also a great rodeo rider. He became the World Champion All Around Cowboy in 1942.

In 1946, his foot was almost torn off in a vicious accident with a bull in New York's Madison Square Garden. The doctor said they would have to amputate but Gerald refused. Another doctor happened to be there who had just returned from doing field surgery in World War II, and he said he thought he could use those techniques he'd learned there to save the foot. He did so, but he told Gerald he might never walk again and certainly wouldn't rodeo. They didn't reckon with Gerald Roberts' determination. He benefited from a new miracle drug, penicillin and started to rebuild his leg strength and then to ride.

In 1948--to the doctors' amazement--Gerald once again became World Champion All Around Cowboy, the only Kansan to ever accomplish such a feat. If the National Finals Rodeo had been in existence then, Gerald would have qualified an incredible 42 times.

After that, Gerald went to Hollywood for a few years and appeared in westerns as a stuntman for such people as Glenn Ford and Jack Lemmon.

In 1946, the Roberts family went into the stock contracting business, providing livestock for use in rodeos. Gerald designed an innovative bullriding rope which other cowboys wanted to use.

By the 1960s, Gerald Roberts was also designing and making chaps, those leather leggings that cowboys wear, in fancy designs as an award for professional riders. More people wanted those chaps, and in 1964 the Roberts family started their own company to produce and sell them. The company is called Chap-Parel, as in apparel you wear.

Chap-Parel produces all kinds of beautiful rodeo and working chaps, plus other goods such as children's chaps, gear and clothing bags, saddle bags and more.

Gerald's son Jim is carrying on the family tradition. In 1969, Jim was the Kansas high school bull riding champion. He later opened up a full line western wear, tack, and rustic furnishings store called Roberts Cowboy Outfitters, now located in Abilene along with his wife's antique store.

Gerald Roberts was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1990. By December 2004, he was 85 years old. He worked until the day before Christmas and passed away on Dec. 31.

As for Chap-Parel, it is the largest maker of chaps in the world and sells chaps to western stores all over the U.S. and even as far away as Germany and Australia. Wow.