Rodeo Legend Phil Lyne Dies at 79, Leaving a Legacy Few Could Match

The rodeo world lost one of its greatest cowboys with the passing of five-time world champion Phil Lyne on Aug. 14. Lyne, 79, was a South Texas rancher, legendary all-around hand and a cowboy whose versatility in the arena remains nearly unmatched.

Born Jan. 18, 1947, in San Antonio, Lyne entered professional rodeo in 1969 and immediately made his presence known, earning Overall Rookie of the Year honors. He competed at both ends of the arena, riding roughstock and working timed events at a level few cowboys have ever duplicated.

Lyne captured five world championships during his career. He won the world all-around and calf roping championships in both 1971 and 1972. Years after stepping away from full-time rodeo, he proved his ability had never left him, returning to claim the 1990 world steer roping championship at age 43.

His National Finals record further demonstrated his remarkable range. Lyne won the NFR calf roping average in 1971 and 1972 and the bull riding average in 1972. He later added National Finals Steer Roping average championships in 1983 and 1986, making him the only cowboy to win NFR average titles in three different events: calf roping, bull riding and steer roping.

Lyne was also a four-time Linderman Award winner, taking the prestigious honor in 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1976. The award recognized exactly what made Lyne extraordinary: his ability to win on both the roughstock and timed-event ends of the arena.

His greatness was cemented early. Lyne was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1971 and later became a member of the inaugural 1979 class of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Yet Lyne chose to step away from full-time rodeo while still in his prime, returning to South Texas and ranch life. He and his wife, Sarah, raised their daughters, Amanda and Samantha. His decision only added to the legend of a cowboy who seemingly had little left to prove.

One of the most remarkable chapters of Lyne's career came at the 1972 NFR alongside fellow all-around great Ace Berry. Lyne won the calf roping and bull riding averages, while Berry won the bareback riding and team roping averages, an extraordinary display of versatility at both ends of the arena.

Following Lyne's death, Berry remembered a cowboy whose character matched his ability, calling Lyne the best all-around cowboy he had ever watched and praising his ability to compete across virtually every rodeo event.

The loss reached well beyond the rodeo arena. Country music legend George Strait also paid tribute to his longtime friend, writing that Lyne had left his mark on both South Texas and the entire rodeo world. Strait called him “a true cowboy in every sense of the word” and closed his tribute with a personal farewell: “I’ll see you down the road someday amigo.”

Lyne's career was never defined by a single event, championship or buckle. He could rope, ride, wrestle and work a ranch, earning the respect of generations of cowboys along the way.

Five world championships tell part of his story. The reverence with which fellow champions speak his name tells the rest.