By Ann Gill (M.A., ’76)
The National Western Stock Show, which runs through January 27, is missing its stalwart Ram. Tom Bradbury (B.S., ’58) passed away on January 10. He served as a director of the Stock Show from 1977 to 2016.
Tom founded the Bradbury Land and Cattle Company at Byers, Colorado, in 1958. They raised Hereford and Red Angus cattle as well as bred and raised some of this country’s finest and fastest Quarter Horses. Tom was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2015.
He played an amazing number of leadership roles in the agricultural community, including president of the American Hereford Association and the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association. He also served on the Colorado Horseman’s Board and on boards of the National Cattlemen’s Association and the Colorado Livestock Association. He and wife Margaret were leaders for and sponsors of 4-H and other agricultural youth groups.
His service to his alma mater was similarly notable. He served on the Colorado State University Alumni Association Board of Directors. He and Margaret were members of the 1870 Club and the Ram Club. They were longtime football season ticket holders and funded Legacy Scholarships for CSU Athletes. In addition, they were members of the Beef Club. They were honored as Distinguished Alumni in 2019 with the Jim and Nadine Henry Award, and Tom received the College of Agricultural Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.