Rodeo Grand Marshals
2023 Grand Marshals: Judy Hedrick & Susan Frantzich

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.
Past Rodeo Grand Marshals
1916 Charles H. Atkinson
1917 Col. C.K. Smith
1918 Col. C.K. Smith
1919 John M. Cox
1920 H.G. Johnson
1921 Orville Reyburn
1922 H.G. Johnson
1923 No parade
1924 No parade
1925 George S. Croyle
1926 George S. Croyle
1926-32 Information Not Available
1933 James O. Bittle
1934 James O. Bittle, George W. Phebus
1935 James Gleason, Sam Arrant, George W. Phebus J.P. Stone
1936 James O. Bittle
1938 James Pendergrass, Bud Sample, Arnold Shell
1939 James Pendergrass, J.P. Stone, Glenn Austin, Kenneth Davis
1940 James O. Bittle
1941 Victor McLaglen, (Hollywood actor)
1942 James Pendergrass, Carl Larson, Duane Wamsley
1943 No parade
1944 No parade
1945 Glenn E. Sheets
1946 William J. Hutchinson, Luther E. Weldon
1947 Frank Drury
1948 W.C. “Pop” Riley
1949 W.C. “Pop” Riley
1950 Frank Drury
1951 Al Green
1952 W.B. “Bert” Weldon
1953 John Allen “Happy Jack” Hawn
1954 Pop Johnson
1955 Bud Sample
1956 Ed Simpson
1957 Joe Moore
1958 C.S. Merriman
1959 Harry Ball
1960 Wes Qualls
1961 Les Smith
1962 Delbert Smith
1963 Lawrence Sassano
1964 D.F. Hallowell
1965 Jess Rodman
1966 Loris Grossi
1967 Frank Bell
1968 Lawrence Cobb
1969 Bob Simpson
1970 Earl Smittcamp
1971 Alvie Maze
1972 Fred Biglione Sr.
1973 Slim Beaver
1974 Rae Crabtree
1975 Glen Burns
1976 Ted Forbes
1977 Shorty Cunningham
1978 Gordon Harlan
1979 Clair Pollard
1980 Emil Prudek
1981 Earl Nevins
1982 Lucretia McMurtry
1983 John Weldon
1984 John I. Polson
1985 John Harvey Moore
1986 Carlos Watson
1987 Doc Joe Massey
1988 Gene Ford
1989 All Surviving Grand Marshals
1990 Beth Crabtree
1991 Martin Mouliot
1992 Emmett Rigsbee
1993 Herman “Smitty” Smith
1994 Rex Phebus
1995 Jay Robinson
1996 Jack Estill
1997 Dan W. Forbes
1998 Bill Verdugo
1999 Cliff Steward
2000 Ike Ball
2001 Mike Vuicich
2002 Fred Uriarte
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.

Learn More About Judy and Susan
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.