Located on the south side of Wilshire Blvd. just west of Highway 4 (Piedmont Road) stands this horse and rider, a commemoration of Robert A. "Bob" Funk, owner of Express Employment Professionals and owner of Express Ranches, the country's largest Angus beef producer. Bob Funk is also known for his interest in seeing people succeed and his philanthropy to youth organizations. He has been awarded numerous awards and accolades during his career.
This statue was commissioned and placed in 2016 in honor of this much-loved man's 75th birthday. It was sculpted by John David Rule, a saddler and sculptor. This video narrated by the creator at its August 2016 dedication, describes his relationship with Bob Funk, and the saddle on which he sits, also made by Rule. The sculptor says "the statue depicts Funk looking down the valley on the Chisholm Trail where it crosses his land and where cattle still graze." Bob Funk
The bronze statue shows Bob Funk in Western attire, sitting on a horse. The sculpture shows in detail the saddle which creator John Rule also made for him. The statue stands on a brick and stone platform about 2 feet tall, and there is a granite map of Oklahoma next to the statue.
A nearby monument describes Bob Funk and his lifetime endeavors, and reads:
""Bob Funk Riding Horseback" is more than just a sculpture. On his 75th birthday Robert A. "Bob" Funk's family, friends and business colleagues commissioned this work of art as a meaningful marker of his legacy. Bob's love for family, friends and the American West is paralleled by his deep commitment to help others succeed. An entrepreneurial pioneer in the staffing industry, Bob has put millions of people to work in his career. He is known for saying, "When we help people find jobs, it helps restore confidence and provides hope."
Blessed with a entrepreneurial spirit, this Oklahoma businessman and rancher has poured leadership wisdom into hundreds of thousands throughout North American and South Africa, ultimately putting millions of people to work in his career.
Raised in Duvall, Washington Bob Fund grew up working on the family-owned dairy farm. At 18, Funk decided he wanted to be a minister, rancher and entrepreneur. He fulfilled all dreams. He worked his
way through college and became the first in his family to graduate, receiving a Bachelor's degree in Administration and Theology, a Master of Arts degree and an honorary Doctorate of Public Service from
Seattle Pacific University. He completed graduate studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and received an honorary doctorate of Law degree from Oklahoma Baptist University and Southern Nazarene University.
He began his career with Acme Personnel, a Washington-based staffing company. When asked by Acme Personnel to choose between working in Seattle or Oklahoma, he chose to move to Oklahoma and worked for the company for 17 years until it dissolved. From humble beginnings, and out of a broken Acme Personnel, Funk led the start of Express Employment Professionals in 1983, a time when the oil industry took a devastating downturn. Funk was determined to grow the company by finding great franchisees who believed in the Express vision to help as many people as possible find good jobs and by helping as many companies as possible find good people.
This dynamic Oklahoma company grew to help people find work in a wide range of professions. Funk led
the company to a multi-billion dollar operation with hundreds of franchises employing millions of people and serving thousands of customers.
Among many of his numerous accolades, Funk was honored to serve as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank in 2007. He was inducted into the International Franchise Association Hall of Fame, named Oklahoma's Most Admired CEO by the Journal Record, named Oklahoma City Man of the
Year by Impact OKC magazine and received the Oklahoma State University Division of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources Champion Award.
The intrigue of the American West was captured through Bob's building of Express Ranches with thousands of Angus cattle and nearly 200,000 acres of land across seven locations. Express Ranches is the leading Angus cattle producer and is the number one seed stock producer in the U.S.
Express Ranches is also home to the Express Clydesdales. These gentle giants are a rare black and white breed weighing between 1,800 and 2300 pounds each. The world-renowned Express Clydesdales were honored to chauffeur the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Catherine during their visit to Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 2011.
Funk's generosity and philanthropic giving have impacted thousands with millions of dollars in scholarship awards, charitable donations and funding for facilities and structures that daily support those who are less fortunate. His special love for youth in agriculture was demonstrated with a multi-million dollar gift to Oklahoma Youth Expo, ensuring scholarships for years to come.
Continuing the Funk legacy of helping people succeed, his children Julie and Bob Jr., established their homes in Oklahoma along with four beautiful children. This sculpture depicting Robert A. "Bob" Funk on horseback wearing Western attire and a genuinely infectious smile, celebrates his life, the American Cowboy, the Great Chisholm Trail and American's Western values."