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.

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