If the House is on Fire, Keep Roping:
The Making of Guy “The Legend” Allen

When Guy Allen’s father told him, “If the house is on fire, keep roping. We’ll put it out,” he wasn’t just giving advice, he was shaping the mindset of the most decorated cowboy in steer roping history. That unwavering support would help Guy earn the nickname long before retirement, The Legend.

Last month, nearly 30 years after 3-Time World Champion Tee Woolman first gave him that title, Guy was back in the arena turning steers alongside his longtime friend.

 “We grew up together in the summers when we were kids,” Guy recalled. “I’d stay the summers with the Woolmans, or he’d come down and stay a couple of weeks in the summers. We’ve been friends a long time.”

 Allen’s resume is unmatched: the most championships in a single ProRodeo event, the most consecutive steer roping titles in rodeo history, and a career that spanned five decades. But if you ask him, his career started like any other—just a kid with a rope, a horse, and big dreams.

He grew up in a rodeo family, where the practice pen was part of his everyday life. At just 16, Guy bought his Professional Cowboys Rodeo Association permit and filled it at his very first rodeo in Sheridan. In 1977, he qualified for his first NFSR at 18 years old—turning 19 just three days before the event. He tied the record for youngest world champion; one week younger and he would have broken it.

From there, he collected 17 more world championships, including 11 consecutive titles between 1991 and 2001. He qualified for 33 NFSR across five decades, won a record 48 NFSR go-rounds, and claimed five NFSR average titles.

In 1983, Guy, his father James, and his brother Gip made history as the first father–son–son trio to qualify for the National Finals Steer Roping in the same year.

In 2005, Guy missed a 19th gold buckle by $1.67—the closest single-event title race in PRCA history. His final NFSR qualification came in 2016, at age 58.

Retirement from steer roping didn’t mean stepping away from competition. In 2022, he scored his biggest single payday—-$195,000—-as a heeler at the Ariat World Series of Team Roping Finale.

Guy Allen wearing the 20X Chase

Guy Allen wearing the 20X Chase

Guy Allen wearing the 20X Chase

Guy Allen wearing the 20X Chase

These days, Allen still ropes, but also finds joy coaching from the sidelines.

“I help people, but I point a lot,” Guy said with a laugh. “I tell them how to do it, but I don’t do it. I just point.”

When asked what advice he’d give to young ropers, Guy didn’t hesitate.

“Practice hard. Learn from everyone you can. Everybody’s style doesn’t fit everybody, but you can learn something from anyone. I always told my daughters, you can learn from a drunk on the street. They’d say, ‘What?’ and I’d say, ‘Well, learn not to be a drunk.’

For his accomplishments, he has been inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, the National Rodeo Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame.

For Guy Allen, “The Legend” isn’t just a nickname. It’s the result of a lifetime of hard work, family, support, and a rope in hand.