Renowned Sundre stock contractor Rex Logan will be fondly remembered for his work in raising outstanding rodeo and outfitting horses, says longtime friend and Sundre Rodeo Association member Jack Nicol.
Logan passed away May 18 at the age of 89 at the seniors' facility where he lived in Ponoka. A full-house memorial service was held at the Sundre Legion on May 21 (after press time last week).
It's a big loss for the rodeo community and really the end of an era,” said Nicol, who knew Rex for more than 60 years. “It's an era that's gone. There's not many like him around any more.
“He spent the majority of his life here in Sundre as a rancher, trapper, guide outfitter. And he raised a lot of really good bucking horses.
“As a young person he probably rode a few broncs but he never spent much time doing that. He was best known for raising cattle and a lot of good horses for outfitting as well as bucking horses.”
Two of Logan's horses – Lonesome Me and Try Me – were world champion bucking horses.
Rex Logan's son Gary Logan was a world ranked bareback rider who died in a plane crash in California in 1979. For a time, the Sundre rodeo was known as the Gary Logan Memorial Rodeo.
Rex Logan is survived by his wife Vi, son Eddie and daughter Brenda.
Nicol explained that plans are in the works to recognized Rex Logan's outstanding contributions to the region's rodeo and riding past at next month's Sundre Professional Rodeo.
“I'm sure we will be doing something for sure,” said Nicol.
Meanwhile, Nicol says he doesn't expect the recent outbreak of EHV-1 to impact the Sundre Professional Rodeo at the end of June.
“It was an isolated case in Alberta of one horse,” he said. “This is not a climate that this virus does well in. That's more a southern states virus that they have to deal with on a regular basis.”
