Guy Lee Patchen

Guy Lee Patchen

He stepped into the saddle on a big grey horse, tipped his hat to his wife, Faye, turned and rode away.

Guy Lee Patchen was born July 10, 1936, in Coeur d’Alene Idaho, to Guy Warren and Alta Patchen. He was the oldest of three children, with siblings Dale and Ida Mae. Even at a young age he had a love of horses. On Dec. 23, 1956, he married Lois Vernon. After a bad logging accident that nearly took his life, they had two children, Guy A. and Lea Anne.

He started rodeoing in the early 1960s but it wasn’t the only thing he enjoyed. He loved to hunt and fish, he provided for his family with the game he harvested. But horses were his passion and in 1966 he had acquired enough points to compete for the Idaho State Reining Championship in Coeur d’Alene. At the end of the show he was tied with a woman from Boise, Idaho, and only having one trophy, Guy let her take it — if they promised one just like it for him later. He never did get that trophy. That year he missed the world record in the keyhole race by 1/100th of a second at Sandpoint, Idaho, on his calf roping and reining horse, Sam.

In the 1970s he was hitting rodeos regularly. In 1974 he picked up a bucking horse for McGowan Rodeo Company with Ron Culliver. In 1984 he purchased his own arena and let everyone use it whenever they needed it — even the U.S. Border Patrol used the arena for training days.

In 1993 he remarried and with a good head horse he hit the road and took off, doing quite well in many team ropings.

When he retired he started riding with Dr. Roland Hall doing vet calls, working cattle, and going on late-night emergency calls. After 20 years of riding with Roland I still can’t believe he died of a stroke. Dad said there would be no service for him, it was non-negotiable.

In lieu of flowers please send remembrances to Auburn Crest Hospice, P.O. Box 473, Bonners Ferry, ID, 83805. We would like to thank Hospice for their special people and May God Bless you all.