Who Is Bob Avila? Yellowstone Ending Tribute Explained

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Yellowstone season 5, episode 14.Yellowstone season 5, episode 14, "Life Is A Promise" offers a tribute to the late Bob Avila before it begins, but it is not clear who he was or what his connection is to the series. The tribute consists of a black placard with white text that says: "This episode is dedicated to Bob Avila. See you down the dusty trail, Amigo." It fades away into the first scene of the ironically-named "Life Is A Promise," which depicts Indigenous people throwing pipes into a body of water as Yellowstone season 5, part 2 begins to draw to a close.

Avila was not directly connected to the events of the episode, which reveal the fate of every member of Yellowstone's Dutton family. However, while Avila had not been involved in Yellowstone season 5, part 2, he did have a cameo during a previous season. Additionally, the tribute demonstrates how important cowboy culture was to Yellowstone, as Avila is well-known to people who are involved in rodeos and similar events.

Bob Avila Is A Real-Life Legendary Professional Horseman

Avila Is World-Renowned And Won Many Prestigious Awards

Close

While he only had a small part in Yellowstone, Bob Avila was world-renowned as a horse trainer. Avila had been born into this world (via Rodeo) but had exceeded the high expectations set for him as the son of a rodeo cowboy who trained horses and a mother who gave riding lessons. Avila was an American Quarter Horse Association Professional Horseman, had earned significant amounts of money from several national horse riding organizations, and was a member of the Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.

Related Yellowstone Season 6 vs. Rip & Beth Spinoff Might Trigger Legal Battle With Peacock, Report Claims The upcoming Yellowstone series starring Rip and Beth has so far been deemed a spinoff, but the nature of the series could cause a legal battle.

All of these qualifications made him the type of cowboy that Yellowstone respected, but Avila's greatest legacy was as a mentor and trailblazer. He was known for showing other cowboys how to raise and train horses and he continued being active in cowboy communities up until his death at the age of 72. Thus, guest starring in Yellowstone as a horse trainer was perfectly suited to who Avila was, and it's not surprising that the series mourned his loss.

Why Is Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 14 Dedicated To Bob Avila

The Late Cowboy Had A Cameo Appearance In A Season 3 Episode

Yellowstone's tribute to Avila is undoubtedly partly because the series respects him as a legendary horse trainer. However, Avila also had a guest appearance in Yellowstone. He appeared as himself in Yellowstone season 3, episode 8, "I Killed A Man Today." His role was small but significant, as he played one of several real-life cowboys who John met while trying to buy some new horses for the ranch. Avila's appearance contributed both to his legacy and to the Yellowstone franchise's brand of showing respect and appreciation to real-life cowboys.

Sadly, Avila passed away on November 9, the day before Yellowstone season 5, episode 9 premiered, but the series honored him in the best way possible by paying tribute to him before it wrapped up what may be its final season.

While it's debatable whether the neo-Western achieved enough of the Yellowstone finale wishlist to please the audience, one thing is clear: the Western kept its promise to depict cowboy life with honor and respect to the end. Sadly, Avila passed away on November 9, the day before Yellowstone season 5, episode 9 premiered, but the series honored him in the best way possible by paying tribute to him before it wrapped up what may be its final season.

Source: Rodeo