Born in the Roundup hospital in 1943 and raised in nearby Musselshell, Raymond Hugh “Rainbow” Hillman grew up ranching and began breaking horses at the ripe age of 10 years old.
He went on to become valedictorian of his class of 1961 and then played college basketball in Havre. While there, he won the 1961 Montana High School Rodeo Association Calf Roping Championship.
After playing college ball for one season, Rainbow realized the ranch life was calling to him. So, back home he went to ranching, raising registered Charolais cattle with his father and breaking horses. He also went back to rodeoing, and in 1966, he got his start for what he is probably most well- known for: picking up for contestants riding bucking horses and bulls. When NRA Stock Contractor Dale Small needed help at the Roundup College Rodeo, Rainbow was there. He went on to pick up at other NRA rodeos, as well as Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeos, where he assisted some of the greatest rodeo athletes in the history of the sport. Rainbow also had the honor of picking up at the 1986 Old Timer Finals in Texas with Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and great friend Kenny Clabaugh.
In the 1970s, Rainbow worked closely with Montana Cowboy Hall of Famer Billy Greenough, as well as some of his best traveling pards, Dean Newman, Howard Hawks, John Edwards, Wally Newman, and Walt Linderman, inspecting and working cattle for Oppenheimer Cattle Company.
Rainbow was an integral part of the startup of the Montana Youth Rodeo Association (YRA) with John Benson and Art Kincheloe, where he mentored National Finals Rodeo (NFR) Champions Deb Greenough and Dan Mortenson.
In 2010, Rainbow brought rodeo back to Roundup, and went on to make it a well-known and sought after NRA rodeo. Rainbow took it to the next level with The Rodeo Roundup PRCA Rodeo established in 2020. Working closely with PRCA Stock Contractors Hank and John Franzen, they earned and were awarded best arena ground of the year in 2022 by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association.
In 2013, Rainbow was recognized at the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame for his many accomplishments and contributions to rodeo. He absolutely loves the Western way of life and more often than not, he hears, “They just don’t make ‘em like you anymore, cowboy.”