November 17, 2006

From Rodeos to golf courses

Local resident Tom Snodgrass started riding in horse shows
at age five. Now a golfer, he enjoys helping friends

By Donna H. Eliason
Staff Writer

Initially, 5-year-old Tom Snodgrass’s mom was upset when her only child wanted to ride in a 1933 horse show entertainment spot, by standing on the backs of two black Shetland ponies, roughly the size of German shepherd dogs.

Tom Snodgrass works on personalizing a golf club, a hobby he picked up 15 years ago in Austin, Texas. Snodgrass took part in a far more hazardous sport in his youth, competing in rodeos. Photo by Donna H. Eliason

Snodgrass already had a year’s experience learning to ride his own horse, Betty. Once his mom realized he wasn’t getting hurt, she made him a purple cape to wear with his white shirt and pants for the event. That began Snodgrass’s involvement in the competitive rodeo world.

Snodgrass loved “the wide open feeling” of their Muskogee, Oklahoma ranch with its many responsibilities and privileges. He lettered in high school football, basketball, baseball and track. Even though Friday night football games usually finished late, the cows still needed to be milked on Saturday morning.

“It was hard to hit the floor Saturday morning at 4 a.m. when Dad called, ‘Lets get ‘em,’” Snodgrass said.
He continued entering rodeo contests, winning numerous awards and trophies, as he competed mostly with four or five other young men his age.

Snodgrass said jokingly, “I broke two fingers playing football, not riding in rodeos.”

His most memorable trophy is the All Around Junior Championships. This was awarded to a youth under l5 years who excelled in roping calves, and riding broncos and steers both bareback and with saddles.

“Often, whether I won or not often depended upon the animal I drew, how it performed besides how I did,” said Snodgrass.

He and the bull were eye-to-eye
His closest brush with injury came when a bull bucked him off. Flying through the air, Snodgrass did “cartwheels” trying to avoid landing on his back. Even though he did land on his back, he wasn’t injured. When he opened his eyes, the bull’s face was right in front of him. He felt its snorting and foul breath blowing around him. Fortunately, the bull couldn’t get its horns on him, nor did it step on him.

Right after high school graduation, Snodgrass traveled with a 26-year-old world champion bull rider friend. Because of his numerous injuries and broken bones from riding and falling off bulls, he spent hours sitting in hot water before entering a rodeo bull-riding event.

“I told him he was either the richest or craziest person in the world. I told him he had the body of an old man,” Snodgrass said.

Snodgrass knew it was time for him to stop before that became his future also. That was his last rodeo.
All-State football player didn’t get a uniform

One of his biggest disappointments happened when uniforms were given out at the beginning of the University of Oklahoma football season. Snodgrass, who played on the high school All-State football team and was one of the state’s fastest runners, was surprised when he didn’t get a uniform.

University of Oklahoma Coach Bud Wilkerson explained, “You’re so little you’ll be killed out there.”
His decision was final.

Snodgrass withdrew from the university and studied engineering at North East State College. He married and withdrew from school one semester shy of graduation. With his high school mechanical drawing backing and his college engineering classes, Snodgrass became a technical illustrator with American Airlines. In 195l, he used layers of transparent Mylar to show the inter-connectedness of various systems. Years later, this process was called animated illustrating.

He preferred to help people rather than push papers
Snodgrass took management supervisory jobs within the company. When given an assistant vice president position, Snodgrass quit after four days because he hated the tedious paper-shuffling job. He transferred back to his old management training position, where he could mentor and encourage others. He had a reputation for picking good employees, developing the best facilities, and turning out excellent work.

He married Mary Ellen, a widowed special education teacher. In 1981, they returned to Oklahoma to care of his 99-year-old Irish/Cherokee mother, who later died three months short of her 100thbirthday. The original plan of a two-year stay had stretched to 13 years.

Snodgrass’s hobby encourages golfing buddies
Both Tom and Mary Ellen Snodgrass traveled in Europe and Australia, became small plane pilots, and were real estate agents, before they moved in 2002 to a home in The Villages that one of her children bought as an investment. Now, golf is their passion. Snodgrass became re-interested in a hobby of personalizing golf clubs that he learned 15 years earlier in Austin, Texas.

“People want a driver but often, it’s not right for them. It may be too long or too short. Once their driver fits them, they’re able to make shots they didn’t believe were possible,” he said. “What a thrill it is to see their surprise when they see what shots they can make.”

As for Snodgrass himself, he has one simple goal yet to accomplish in golf.

“I want to shoot my age – 80,” he said.