Steven "Steve" Randell Kaufman

Steve Kaufman passed away on September 21, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. He was born in Wellington, Kansas on November 13, 1939 to parents George and Josephine (Starlin) Kaufman. 

By the time Steve entered grade school, his dad had acquired quite a selection of horses, with many more to come. This herd of horses would eventually earn the family a very successful career in the Quarter Horse Racing industry. The family eventually made their way out west where they would migrate back and forth from Idaho to California with the racehorses. Steve played a major role in the raising and training of the horses. He started galloping horses at ten years old, then eventually was the family’s jockey by the time he was twelve. The Kaufman family owned some great horses over the years which included Rocket Bar, Tinky Poo, Missile Step and Fantastic Native, just to name a few. With Steve’s help, his father, George Kaufman went on to become the leading Quarter Horse Racing Trainer in the nation in 1958, 1959 and 1960. For as much time that was spent on training racing babies, an equal amount of time and effort went in to raising and training good, broke performance horses. Steve made it to the National High School Rodeo Finals in Nebraska in 1955. He made the trek to the Midwest with two of his teenage buddies and fellow contestants. Today, most of us couldn’t ever imagine letting three, fifteen-year-olds travel halfway across the country on their own. Things were much different then! 

The following year, the Kaufman's would end up back in California. There he competed in team roping's all over the state. He roped a lot with a man named Charlie Myers. One day he stopped by Modesto to watch a junior rodeo and saw his roping partner. They were visiting amongst themselves while watching an event where contestants led their horse at a high rate of speed to the end of the arena, threw their saddle on their horse, then got on and ran back towards the starting line. Steve looked up and said, “Charlie, look at that girl!!! She didn’t tighten her cinch and she’s dangling underneath that horse at a dead run!” Charlie replied, “Yep, that’s my daughter.” Steve did not know that Charlie had a daughter! A friendship began that day and Steve was very kind to Charlie’s daughter, Patti, who was thirteen at the time. He even took her to watch the rodeo at the Cow Palace with him and his girlfriend! Steve and Patti finally started dating when she was sixteen. 

He was drafted into the Army in 1965 and went to Vietnam in 1966. He was a well-respected soldier. His knowledge of guns and mechanics led his superiors to try their best to convince him that he would be an asset to the military, hoping that he would make a career out of it. That was not the life he wanted. Before coming home for good, he was awarded Bronze Star for saving the lives of several men in his unit during combat. 

Steve and Patti were married in June of 1968 and moved to Idaho permanently. They began competing in Idaho Cowboy’s Association rodeos in 1969, Steve as a heeler and Patti in the barrel racing. Over the years, Steve placed or won at most every association approved, amateur rodeo he entered, qualifying for the ICA finals numerous times. He served as director at-large and as team roping director. Steve was known to stand up for his fellow team ropers, always wanting what was in their best interest in the arena. The friendships made while going to rodeos have lasted a lifetime. For his contributions to rodeo, he was awarded the Louie Reinman Award, received his Gold Card from the Idaho Cowboys Association, and in 2020 he was inducted into the Idaho Rodeo Hall of Fame. 

Steve continued to work with his dad on the racehorse farm for most of his adult life. As his dad slowed down and began to thin the horse herd, he started hauling rodeo stock for Stephens Brother Rodeos and cattle for Clovis Muston and Ron Sale. He was also a very skilled welder, building many horse trailers and equipment over the years. His ability to weld and drive a truck led him to his next job, working for Bill Cunnington at Drill Pro. There, he loved his job and work family for over twenty years. 

Steve and Patti enjoyed team roping together. They qualified for the National Senior Pro Rodeo Finals numerous times and were twice Circuit Champions together. He was also Runner Up National Champion at the National Cattleman’s Feedlot Roping. When he retired from team roping, he didn’t sell his rope horses. He passed them down to his grandchildren, ensuring that they always had good horses to ride. He spent his later years putting thousands of miles on his pickup, following his grandchildren to every sporting event possible. Every year that one of his grandchildren qualified for the State High School Rodeo Finals, Papa Steve took them on the week-long trip, and he’s twice taken grandsons to the National Junior High School Rodeo Finals and twice to the National High School Rodeo Finals. 

Steve and Patti retired to Murphy, Idaho nearly twenty years ago. Every day you could find them riding around in their side-by-side, looking for deer. He still enjoyed hunting and he managed to harvest a deer and an elk every year until last year’s hunting season! 

Steve will be remembered for being a very kind and humble man. 

He will be greatly missed. He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Josephine, and his sister Judy. He is survived by his wife, Patti; daughters, Paige (Mike) Usabel and Brook Russell (Tim VanOstran); grandchildren, Bailey (Parker), Judd (CJ), Waycee (Logan), Rodee (Taylor), and Wes; and great-granddaughters, Sawyer and Taytum. 

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 19th at 1 o’clock at the Owyhee County Community Center at the fairgrounds in Homedale, Idaho. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions may be made to the Idaho Rodeo Hall of Fame, 1033 West Newfield Drive, Eagle, ID 83616.