Bob Avila: Who was the legendary horseman honored in the Yellowstone finale?

‘Yellowstone’ came to a close on Sunday evening with a series finale that left fans divided

Yellowstone, the Western drama series created by Taylor Sheridan, has officially come to an end with a tribute to a real-life cowboy legend.

The season five finale, which aired on the Paramount Network on Sunday (December 15), was dedicated to the memory of Bob Avila. The episode opened with a simple black “In Memoriam” card, which read: “This episode is dedicated to Bob Avila. See you down the dusty trail, amigo.”

The legendary horseman previously made a brief appearance on Yellowstone as himself. During the eighth episode of season three, titled “I Killed a Man Today,” Avila could be seen riding a horse in the background and chatting with John Dutton (Kevin Costner), who was there with his grandson Tate (Brecken Merrill).

Who is Bob Avila?

Avila died on November 9 at the age of 72. As an American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member with more than 37 championship titles, Avila is widely considered one of the best horsemen in history.

Born into a family of riders, Avila’s father was a rodeo cowboy and horse trainer while his mother gave riding lessons.

Legendary horseman Bob Avila died on November 9 at the age of 72 (Paramount Network)

He lived on his family’s ranch in Temecula, California, for 18 years before moving to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he lived until his death. Throughout his career, Avila earned $381,339.94 in National Reining Horse Association earnings and $1,113,022.09 in National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) earnings.

Avila won the coveted title of NRCHA’s World’s Greatest Horseman in both 2000 and 2007, and he was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2020.

As a businessman, Avila created a line of bits and spurs through his partnership with Professional’s Choice — a leading equestrian supply company — and became a mentor to many future professional riders and fellow trainers.

He’s also published several books on horse training, including Be a Smart Horse Buyer: A Guide to Avoiding Common Mistakes and Finding the Right Horse for You and Win With Bob Avila: Beyond Training, Mentoring from a World Champion Horseman.

‘Yellowstone’ series finale pays tribute to Avila, who made a previous appearance during season three (Paramount Network)

Avila passed away while attending the American Quarter Horse Association World Championship in November. Shortly after, the AQHA posted a tribute to Avila on its Instagram, writing: “The AQHA family has lost a legend. AQHA Professional Horseman and American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member Bob Avila passed away today at the age of 72.

“We extend our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to his wife, Dana, son, BJ Avila, and the rest of the Avila family and their extended AQHA family.”

His cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

Yellowstone, which debuted on screens in 2018, came to a close on Sunday with a finale that left viewers divided and questioning whether the show will continue in a new form.

*Warning — Spoilers ahead for the Yellowstone season finale*

During the episode, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) followed through with his plans to save the family’s historic Montana ranch by selling the property to its original owners, the Broken Rock Indigenous tribe. Dutton sold the land for the same price his ancestors paid in 1883 — $1.25 an acre, meaning the largest ranch in the state sold for just $1.1 million in total.

Elsewhere, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) killed her brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) and left to start a new life on a different ranch with her husband, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser).

The ‘Yellowstone’ series finale left viewers divided (Paramount)

However, many viewers were left disappointed by the show’s finale. “Dumb ending,” one person wrote on X/Twitter, while another viewer added: “That was probably the worst final season in television history.”

“It is official. Game of Thrones is no longer the worst final season of any TV show ever. Yellowstone has taken that award,” a third person said. “What a disaster of a final season.”

Still, Yellowstone fans shouldn’t be entirely upset about the show’s ending. Last week, it was reported that a deal has been closed for another spin-off with Reilly and Hauser reprising their fan-favorite roles as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, respectively.

Sheridan, the co-creator responsible for Yellowstone and its numerous iterations, is reportedly “working on the creative” for the new show. It’s believed that other cast members from the original series will also be featured in the forthcoming spin-off.