Friends reflect on lives of father-son cowboy duo who died hours apart

By Lily O’Brien

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    FLINT HILLS, Kansas (KAKE) — The Kansas ranching community is mourning the loss of two dedicated stewards.

Jim and Josh Hoy, a father and son duo known for their deep-rooted passion for the land and preserving cowboy culture, passed away within hours of each other on Saturday.

Josh Hoy, a respected cowboy and husband, suffered a fatal heart attack Saturday.

His father, Jim Hoy — 2015 Kansan of the Year — passed away later that same day.

“The news was just too much for him,” said Kristin Cloud, a friend of Josh’s.

The two were inseparable in life, a bond their friends and fellow ranchers say will help define their legacy.

“They’ll leave a pretty big gap that a lot of us are going to have to step in and finish their path,” said Brett Cloud, Kristin’s husband and a man who knew the Hoys for just around two decades.

Jim and Josh spent their lives ranching and educating others about the prairie, horsemanship, and cowboy traditions.

“They’ve done a really good job at teaching people who have never seen cowboys before our history,” said Kristin Cloud. “That’s just so rare for ranchers.”

Brett and Kristin Cloud, close friends of the Hoys, say the loss still feels surreal.

“They were enjoying a weekend together as a family, and it was very sudden,” said Kristin Cloud. “I don’t think anybody’s grasped it yet.”

Kristin fondly recalled the duo’s adventurous spirit. One of her favorite memories is a 2023 trip to Australia with Josh and his wife, Gwen.

The group spent a couple of weeks cowboying down under.

“Josh was always up for an adventure,” she said.

One of those adventures brought the cowboys on a trek together to Kyrgyzstan in 2017, learning about the culture, skills, and horsemanship of the Kyrgyz people.

“Jim and Josh were like peanut butter and jelly in a sandwich,” said Brett Cloud. “Wherever one of them was, the other was right there with him.”

More than just cowboys, Jim and Josh Hoy were educators, mentors, and champions for Kansas ranching.

Jim Hoy was an author, historian, and professor with over a dozen published works. He also played a significant role in the founding of the Pioneer Bluffs, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the ranching heritage of the Flint Hills.

Josh Hoy followed closely in the footsteps of his father, committing deeply to their Flying W Ranch in Chase County. At the time of his passing, he was listed as the vice president of Pioneer Bluffs.

They were a rare gem, says the Clouds, and their willingness to learn and help learn will not go unmissed.

“Anything about the history of cowboying, and the history of Kansas, they both knew it all,” said Kristin Cloud. “It didn’t matter if you were a girl, or a boy, or you came from the city, he would let you try.”

Their impact on the Flint Hills and beyond will not be forgotten.

It’s documented quite visually by photographer Mark Feiden, who says Jim was probably one of the few people on Earth who earned a doctorate and won a rodeo event on the same day.

Before the passing of the two prominent cowboy ranchers, he was hoping to do another book with Jim.

Now, he says, he might just have to do one about him, and the legacy he’s left.

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