Dale Svoboda

Dale (Buster) Arden Svoboda passed away on October 26, 2024, at his daughter’s home near Lexington, NE at the age of 88. Dale was born February 26, 1936, to James Sr. and Margaret (Walkowiak) Svoboda, in rural Garfield County, the 3rd of 11 children, 4 sons and 7 daughters. Dale graduated from Ord High School in 1953, and married Elaine Liermann on November 9, 1957. They were married for 48 years until Elaine passed away in April 2006. They had 3 daughters, Sandra, Wanda, and Rhonda. They lived in Valley County Haskell Creek area until they purchased their ranch just east of Burwell in 1974, where Dale continued to reside until 2019 when he moved to Ord, and then just recently, to Lexington.

Dale’s first ranch job out of high school was at the McMillan Ranch near Milburn, Nebraska. He also worked on the U-Cross Ranch near Fawn Lake, a 6,000 cow ranch worked with the 1,000 head of horses and 20 or so cowboys. Dale ranched and farmed with his dad, Jim Svoboda, Sr., rode many horses penning cattle at Ericson, Burwell, and Loup City sale barns, and worked for M&R Cattle Company of Burwell, mostly moving hay bales, until he was 86. 

Dale has been a cowboy most of his life, having ridden, raised, traded, and worked with horses since he was a young man. The first horse he owned was a paint mare given to him by his dad in 1953 for high school graduation, a tradition he carried on with his oldest daughter on her graduation. 

Dale rode barebacks and saddle broncs in rodeos starting at age 17 when he traveled on gravel roads all the way to Harrison, Nebraska for a high school rodeo, the only one in the state at that time. In his young days, he also tried his hand at steer wrestling and bull riding, but the bucking horse events were where he was in his element. He won many buckles, trophies, and saddles competing mostly in the Nebraska State Rodeo Association, but also Mid-States, PRCA permit-holder, and Old Timer Rodeo Association until his mid-fifties. 

One of Dale’s proud accomplishments was in 1969, winning the buckle in the Amateur Saddle Bronc Riding event in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the first Nebraska cowboy to do so. Another memorable win was the trophy for the matched Saddle Bronc Riding at Nebraska’s Big Rodeo in Burwell in 1961, a competition between Nebraska and South Dakota cowboys. Dale also won the All-Around Saddle at the Johnstown Rodeo 3 years in a row, 1965, 1966, and1967. He won NSRA All Around Champion, Saddle Bronc Champion and Bareback Champion saddles, as well as several Runner-Up buckles. Dale was one of the original organizers of the Nebraska State Rodeo Association, along with brother Jim Svoboda, Jr. Dale was a tough competitor and enjoyed riding good stock. He and a paint bucking horse, “Tom Dooley” had many go-rounds. Dale competed at the Old Timer’s Rodeos in Hyannis where his team won the Wild Cow Milking even though when the dust settled, Dale had a broken leg. He also went as far as Texas to an Old Timer’s Rodeo and to the Finals in Nevada. 

The last “bronc” Dale was on was in December 2013, when he was working with M&R Cattle Company moving cattle and his saddle horse decided to try the 77 year old cowboy. One of the guys said he thought Dale had him rode after several jumps, but then the horse took a turn and ended the ride, which left Dale’s shoulder injured and unable to lift a saddle on a horse – time to hang it up!

Dale served on the Board of Directors for Nebraska’s Big Rodeo in Burwell for 30 years. He provided the stock for the Wild Horse Race at Burwell Rodeo for many years and was the director for the Horse Show and Dinner Bell Derby, which he and his wife Elaine had done together for many years. 

In 2013, Dale was featured in the Paint Horse Association Journal as a 50-year breeder of Paint Horses from 1963-2012. He was a lifetime member and served as an APHA director and on the board of the Nebraska Paint Horse Club. 

His favorite paint stallion and one of the best horses he ever owned was “Dixon’s Bandit”. Of the horses he bred and raised, Dale’s favorite was Red Pepper, a 1964 sorrel mare, which he used as a practice bucking horse, then rode her penning cattle at the sale barn. She was also a great brood mare, producing an APHA Champion.

Dale and brother Jim were both inducted into the Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2016, and together were Grand Marshalls for the 101st Nebraska’s Big Rodeo in 2022.

Dale is survived by his three daughters, Sandy Wright of Lexington, Wanda Rowen of Lincoln, Rhonda (John) Woods of Hermosa, SD; Grandchildren Nathan Omar Seidel of Tampa, FL, Matthew Seidel of St. Paul, Rachel (Tyler) Daly of Elm Creek, Alec (Katie) Rowen of Des Moines, IA, and Lillie Woods of Hermosa, SD; great-grandchildren Henry, Audrey, and Elliot Seidel of St. Paul and Camilla, Cooper, and Margaret Daly of Elm Creek; 1 brother and 4 sisters

Besides his parents, Dale was preceded in death by his wife Elaine, infant grandson Neil Woods, son-in-law George Wright, 2 brothers, and 3 sisters.

A private graveside service will be held at a later date.