The Clovis Rodeo Association honors lifelong friends and rodeo volunteers, Judy Hedrick and Susan Frantzich as Grand Marshals of the 109th Clovis Rodeo set to take place April 26-30. These well-known Clovis cowgirls will be responsible for leading off the annual rodeo parade on Saturday, April 29; a parade they have both been responsible for coordinating and building for more than 60 combined years of service.

Both Judy and Susan are following in the footsteps of some other Grand Marshals in their families. Judy’s husband Bill was Grand Marshal in 2010 and Susan’s father, Gene Ford, was honored in 1988.

Judy and Susan will each be presented with the Grand Marshal’s traditional cowboy hat and belt buckle during a reception in their honor the last week of April. Watch for them leading off the Clovis Rodeo Parade that begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 29.

2003    Betty Mouliot

2004    Les Sassano

2005    Wayne William Rohde, Sr.

2006    Wilbur Plaugher

2007    Tom Sample

2008    Stan King

2009    Bob Robinson

2010    Bill Hedrick

2011    Floyd “Doc” Buchanan

2012    Buster Ford, Denny Denton, Corky Dunbar

2013    Vern Barkman

2014    All Surviving Grand Marshals

2015    Bob Kennedy, Jim Call, Orville Hefley

2016    Harry Armstrong

2017    Jodie Simpson

2018    Earl Hall

2019    Larry Cowger

2020-2021    Joe Billalba †

2022    Larry Parker and Brian Avery

2023    Susan Frantzich & Judy Hedrick

† Due to the COVID pandemic, the rodeo was canceled in 2020.

The Clovis Rodeo Association honors lifelong friends and rodeo volunteers, Judy Hedrick and Susan Frantzich as Grand Marshals of the 109th Clovis Rodeo set to take place April 26-30. These well-known Clovis cowgirls will be responsible for leading off the annual rodeo parade on Saturday, April 29; a parade they have both been responsible for coordinating and building for more than 60 combined years of service.

Born in Sanger, Judy (Spears) Hedrick has participated in the rodeo parade in some way since the age of 9 years old. Whether horseback as a mounted entry with her family, or as a Clovis Rodeo Queen candidate, she’s been a participant and/or parade organizer for 48 years. Her son Brett (Hedrick) likes to say his mom was “country when country wasn’t cool,” helping her sons with their 4-H and FFA animals at the fair, working the family cattle ranch with her husband Bill, or raising race horses at their ranch in the Sanger river bottom, she’s been dedicated to agriculture, her family and her community her whole life.

Judy graduated from Clovis High School in 1960 and was one of the first women to take an Ag class at the school. She was an active 4-H member and also showed horses. She married Bill in 1961 and they had three sons Brett, Ross and Todd. In 1977 she and Bill moved to the foothills east of Clovis where they continue to ranch. Today they are partners in the cattle business with their grandsons Blake and Tanner.

Born in Visalia, Susan (Ford) Frantzich moved to Clovis in 1960 when her father Gene Ford built Frontier Chevrolet. She started at Clovis High School as a freshman and hit the ground running by joining a cappella choir, swim team and student government. Susan participated in her first rodeo parade as a Clovis High School letter girl and has been a part of the tradition ever since. She graduated from Clovis High in 1964 and attended both Fresno City and Fresno State College.

An active volunteer in her community while she and her husband Ben raised their children Heather and Chad on a ranch east of Clovis; she joined the Clovis Veterans District Board in 1984 and was a 4-H Club Leader, Clovis Hospital Guild member and school volunteer. She is also a licensed real estate agent and worked actively until 1995.

It was in the eighties that Susan started helping her longtime friend Judy, whom she affectionately calls “Dude,” with organizing the Clovis Rodeo Parade and helping at the grounds. In 1996 Susan was elected Secretary of the Clovis Rodeo Board of Directors where she served for 26 years. She spends her retirement now loving her five grand children Nial, McKenzie, Caden, Gunnar and Gage while spending time on the family’s foothill ranch.

Both Judy and Susan are following in the footsteps of some other Grand Marshals in their families. Judy’s husband Bill was Grand Marshal in 2010 and Susan’s father, Gene Ford, was honored in 1988.

Judy and Susan will each be presented with the Grand Marshal’s traditional cowboy hat and belt buckle during a reception in their honor the last week of April. Watch for them leading off the Clovis Rodeo Parade that begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 29.