I think any cowboy who has the courage to saddle up and perform should be considered one of the greats.

i would have to say montie montana,he not only did rodeos but he also was in the rose parade up until his death. he had an undying spirt he is my favorite.

To me they are all great, As the sport evolves, they were great in their day. Its hard to compare someone from 20 yrs ago with someone today.

Don't forget Casey Tibbs or Jim Shoulders. They were two of the best

Larry Mahan is at the top

well personally knowing many of these professional cowboys including trevor brazile i would have to say there are multiple "greatest cowboys ever". for instance in bull riding there was lane frost, saddle bronc there was ty murray, calf roping there was roy cooper and im willing to bet that even trevor will agree that roy his father in law is the greatest calf roper of all time. trevor and roy are some of my greatest friends. roys youngest son tuf has always been one of my very best friends and we still stay in touch. his brothers clif and clint were also some of my great friends. i can tell you now there isn't just one greatest cowboy.

Chris LeDoux, Kitt Carson, John Wayne, Gene Autry, the person who brought the horse to the America's, the cowboy who is still the 'working cowboy' today?

You can see I am having a problem with the '''ever''' thing. And again, we have the definition of the '''cowboy''' term. Perhaps I am reading too much into this and just need to say Chris LeDoux. Why?

I have never heard of him doing a wrong and he was taken from us way too early. He did the 'cowboy' thing of riding and all. But along with all of that he had a spirit that busted loose with saying, "Here I am and here is my life as a cowboy". He made the public see and hear the 'cowboy spirit' with his singing and the 'cowboy way' that presented a positive image for little bucharoos to become. I just liked the and I am sad every day I hear 'WATCHA GONNA DO WITH A COWBOY'.

I would have to say that it's a tie between, Lane Frost, TC Holloway, Donny Gay, Glen Keeley and Chris LeDoux.
Lane because he was just an all around great guy and a great bull rider. TC Holloway because he was also a really great guy and one heck of a bronc rider. Donny Gay for being the only man to win 8 bull riding championships and being a great guy. Glen Keeley because he was one of the best if not the best Canadian bull rider and just an overall great guy. Chris LeDoux since he was a great bareback rider, great singer of ranching and rodeo life, and an overall great guy! It's to hard to choose which one since there all great!

I think I would have to go with Chris LeDoux, not only is he the 1976 bare back champ but a song writer about the rodeo life

Bill Pickett has to be at the top of this list! Too many young ones only remember the recent ones.

Casey Tibbs , you talk talent and personallity then there you have it . If your talking just money and the way these guys rodeo now it's a whole nuther game . I'd go with Ty , of the Rodeo hands that are out there he has done the most for the sport and he accually knows which end of a cow to feed.