Bob Funk Sr.
HIS LIFE. HIS LEGACY.
GROWTH IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE
Family, country, state, local. All take a front seat in Bob's life.
EXPRESS CLYDESDALES
In 1998, Bob Funk, owner of Express Ranches and CEO and Chairman of Express Employment Professionals, visited the longstanding Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, Saskatchewan. While visiting, he met and fell in love with the rare and beautiful black and white Clydesdales.
Mr. Funk saw an opportunity to bring something entirely new and different to his home state of Oklahoma, a state steeped in its own rich equestrian history. He intuitively knew that the Clydesdales would become an unusual tourist attraction. And they have! Not only do the Express Clydesdales meet thousands of visitors each year at home in the beautiful and historical Clydesdale barn (originally built in 1936 by H.I Grimes, an Oklahoma City oilman and farmer and restored especially for the Clydesdales by Amish carpenters in 1998), but they travel across North America as ambassadors for Express Employment Professionals and help raise millions of dollars for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities. Each year, they star in some of the world’s most famous parades like Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Tournament of Roses Parade, The Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Kentucky Derby Pegasus Parade, just to name a few. They’ve also had the extreme honor and pleasure of chauffeuring the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate, during a visit to Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
What the Express Clydesdales love doing most is meeting their friends and fans at home and on the road, and supporting community efforts along the way.
Visiting the Express Clydesdales at Home
The Express Clydesdale Welcome Center and barn is located in Yukon, Oklahoma, and is open to the public
Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 12:30 to 5 p.m.
The barn features gleaming pine walls, walnut trim, brass coach lights and hosts numerous events that includes birthday parties and weddings throughout the year. From the loft, visitors have an expansive view of miles and miles of the rolling hills of Oklahoma farm land.
