Robert "Sonney" Wright

Robert Edwin “Sonney Wright. 

One of the last of the Old Time Cowboys

Well known cowboy Sonney Wright was born on 9/19/1925 in Ft. Sumner, NM to Lloyd and Rillia Wright.  The Wrights were cattle ranchers and Sonney grew up living the cowboy lifestyle.  Always keenly competitive he took to rodeo at a young age.  In 1944 he entered the Army and served in Japan and Korea.  After the war Sonney returned to the family ranch and started rodeoing seriously. In that era, he rode bulls, broncs, bull dogged and calf roped.  He married Ruth Taylor of Tatum, NM and they had four children. 

Sonney began roping professionally in 1945 (calves, steers) and won the World Steer Roping title in 1965.  Known for his flamboyant style and a go for broke attitude, he was a crowd and fellow contestant favorite.  He set a number of arena records including Cheyenne.  He never liked rodeo travel and stayed close to his family and ranch in Alto to the debit of his rodeo career.

Sonney divided his time between ranching, rodeo, hunting and numerous important ranch land investments.

Big Game hunting was another passion, Sonney hunted and guided big game hunts all over North America. He particularly loved hunting bear and mountain lions ahorseback with his fine hounds and was well known in the hunting dog world.

Sonney also loved the racehorses, and owned some great ones, which he campaigned from Ruidoso to Santa Anita.

Sonney leaves behind numerous family members, 5 children, Scotty, Zaynah, Zack, Pat and Jay, 11 grandkids and 7 great grandkids. Wright is preceded in death by his beloved mother, Rillia, father, Lloyd, son, Deuce and sister, Eunice Dean Nunn.  He spent the last two years near Taos in the care of his son, Pat, where he passed on November 16, 2022.

Services will be held in the Spring. Please do not send flowers in lieu make a contribution to Heifer International.

Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home. To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com