The Allred Family–A Syracuse Legacy

BY KENDAL RAE JENSEN

Bob had his hands in many things including developing professional rodeo, as it’s known today, with his son in law Cotton and the legendary Binion family of Las Vegas.

WhenI dated Zach Jensen in high school I remember walking into his grandparents’ home in Syracuse, Utah in awe of the trophy saddles, belt buckles, and awards that filled the walls of the living room. My now husband told me that it was nothing compared to what filled the basement. I remember thinking about the legacy that the house and family contained and was always curious to learn more.

Since then I’ve learned that there is so much more to the legacy than the overfilled trophy room at the Allred home in Syracuse. Bob Allred, known as ‘Granddad’ to our family, was born in Chester and raised in Garland, Utah attending Bear River High School. He served in the US Navy during World War II and the Korean conflict. After returning from war, he met his lifelong sweetheart Sidona Elizabeth ‘Sid’ Baltz, known affectionately as ‘Nan’ to us. They were married in California in 1954. He spent his life as a real estate developer and general contractor. Some of modern-day Syracuse was once owned and originally developed by Bob including the ground surrounding the original RC Willey Furniture Store and Allison Acres (named after his youngest daughter Allison).

In 1976 Bob and Sid built their home, which is still at 2550 W 700 S in Syracuse that included a large white horse barn and congruent workshop. The workshop was later lost in a fire but the barn still stands. They owned the farmland surrounding the home which has since been sold and is now church owned. They also built a large horse facility, which they originally named Northridge Quarter Horses (later the site of Blue Blood Stables) in a separate Syracuse location where they bred and managed successful race and show horses for many years.

Bob was actively involved in the horse industry throughout his life. He participated in chariot racing, flat track racing, rodeos, and horse shows with his daughters and grandchildren. He had his hand in many things including developing professional rodeo, as it’s known today, with his son-in-law Cotton and the legendary Binion family of Las Vegas. Possibly his largest living legacies are his 4 daughters who collectively achieved the titles of Miss Rodeo Utah twice and Miss Rodeo Ogden three times. They are the only sisters to have ever achieved titles of Miss Rodeo Ogden and Utah in back-to-back succession. The first was his oldest daughter Karin Allred (Rosser) in 1975 then Kristen Allred (Williams) in 1976 and then daughter Shannon Allred (Hill) achieved the title of Miss Rodeo Ogden in 1979. Karin later married the late, legendary rodeo stock contractor and producer Cotton Rosser and their legacy continues today in the rodeo industry, being one of the largest rodeo companies in the country. Although the Syracuse land has since been sold and developed and the house has been home to other families since their deaths in 2005 and 2012 respectively, their legacy lives on in Northern Utah. His great-grandchildren are now making their own mark on the rodeo world competing in local rodeo queen competitions and youth and high school rodeos.