Bob, Scottsdale, Arizona | AZ_Bob_8325_v3.jpg
I was raised in the Midwest and there was no choice but to be straight and married. It was just the way things were. I married the girl of my dreams in 1970. By the time I was twenty-six I had two sons and owned my own business and a farm. Although financially successful, there was always something missing. At thirty-one, I told my wife I was gay. She didn’t believe me. So instead of rocking the boat, I stayed in a unhappy situation. As the years went on I grew to become one of the top horsemen in the country, as well as one of the most award winning hair stylists. Finally the anger and guilt took over and I knew I had to be true to myself. I gave my wife our business and our home and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona to start over. It was tough at first, but now I have many great gay friends and my straight horse show friends realize I’m still the same guy I’ve always been. My sons have accepted the fact that they have a gay father and my ex-wife is actually speaking to me again. Life is good. My dog Tater and I travel a lot and the horses are still a huge part of our lives. All in all, I’m a happy cowboy.