DALLAS — The highly-anticipated "Yellowstone" season (series?) finale aired Sunday night. But before the opening scene, the show started with a tribute to a legend of the quarter horse world.
Bob Avila, 72, died in November while attending the American Quarter Horse Association World Championship show, according to Quarter Horse News. His cause of death was not announced.
Avila was a renowned horseman, specifically in the Quarter Horse scene, which has been featured prominently in "Yellowstone." The show's creator, Taylor Sheridan, owns a quarter horse ranch and facility in North Texas, south of Weatherford, and Sheridan has made a point to feature real-life quarter horse riders, including Avila, in cameo roles across several seasons of "Yellowstone."
As Parade noted, Avila appeared in season 3 of "Yellowstone," alongside Kevin Costner's John Dutton character.
Before Sunday night's episode, a message was displayed on the screen: "This episode is dedicated to Bob Avila. See you down the dusty trail, amigo."
Avila was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2020.
Avila grew up in a cowboy family in Northern California: His dad was a horse trainer and rodeo cowboy, and his mother worked at a western store, according to his Hall of Fame bio. Avila stayed in the family business and became one of the most renowned horse trainers, winning numerous competitions over the decades and millions in earnings. Among his top wins were his record-setting five victories in the National Reined Cow Horse Association's Stallion Stakes, according to Quarter Horse News.
“Horses have given me everything I have,” Avila said for his Hall of Fame bio. “Quarter Horses have helped make me what I am. They have been my life’s work and I owe them everything.”
Avila also ran his own magazine, Ride With Bob Avila.
Avila worked for years in Oregon and then later moved to Arizona, according to his bio.
Sunday night's episode wasn't the first time Sheridan has honored a real-life cowboy who recently passed away. An earlier episode this season featured the legendary Texas spur maker Billy Klapper, who died in September, a few months after filming a scene for "Yellowstone." The show also honored Klapper with a dedication message at the end.
