When it comes to barrel racing the work never stops, which is why barrel racers from across the country are headed to the Josey Ranch in Marshall, Texas. Home of legendary World Champions R.E. and Martha Josey students are coming to learn from these champions right in their backyard.
Coming from nine different states, over 160 students and their families will be attending clinics at the Ranch in the next two weeks. Students will be working on barrel racing techniques, training methods, and learning how to practice perfect with R.E., Martha, and their impeccable staff in the Fall and Thanksgiving Barrel Racing Clinics November 19-21 and November 26-28.
“We love teaching students all year, but the fall and thanksgiving clinics are always a little special,” explained Martha’s nephew and Josey instructor Gary Arthur. “We have taught thousands of students in the last 54 years, and they have all become part of the Josey Family. When we get to see returning students around the holiday times it’s a special experience, not to mention meeting new students and adding to the ranch family. They love coming to beautiful East Texas!”
Along with R.E., Martha, and Gary, the Josey Ranch has a very talented staff that works through the Ranch year-round to teach the future generation of barrel racers. Many of the staff members not only live in Marshall but drive in from across Texas and Louisiana. The staff includes Ty and Lisa Mitchell, Terry Thomas, Pamella Randall, Suvoy and Cheryl Rosser, Ashley Schenck, Elaine Lambino, Whitney Bettis, Marj Dahle, Micah Sebranke, Keely Henry, Luke Cruze, and Haley Coleman.
The Josey Ranch is always open to the public to offer shopping in the Josey Western Store, lunch at the concession stand, or family-friendly fun watching the barrel racers train through the clinics.
Photo of Martha Josey teaching a student in the main arena.
Photo of Gary Arthur teaching a student in the main arena.
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Don’t be surprised if you feel your in a different century when you
visit Jefferson, Texas this weekend, because its “back to the earliest days” as the community showcases what is hoped to be the 1st Annual Pioneer Days Festival, Sept. 4, 5 and 6.
Begun as a project when the Opera House Theatre Players, a local
community theatre, decided to bring in the world renown musical
group, The Sons of the Pioneers, for a concert on the Monday of
Labor Day weekend, the excitement and anticipation of such big name entertainment gave birth to the idea that the entire community could and should benefit from the extra visitors it would likely bring in. Thats when the theatre board members put their ideas together and came up with an entire weekend of activities geared to not only attract attention for the concert but create a festival that would hold people in town for the last long weekend of the summer.
After organizing a working committee made up of board members and community volunteers, the committee set about soliciting
donations and service donations to the non-profit group that
would fund an event of three days. Theatre board president
Marcia Thomas said that “they have been greatly pleased and
gratified to see so many businesses and individuals were
really interested in supporting Jefferson tourism with this
idea. We’ve been able to make it all free except the concert!
The perfect event for all the family. We have been blessed!”
The festivities will begin on Saturday, Sept. 4, with a Parade
at 10 am that will be comprised of horseback riders, wagons
and walkers in period costume. One local resident, Howard
Blatch, will wear an exact replica uniform worn on the Lewis
and Clark Expedition that started in 1803 to explore the
New Louisiana Purchase or The New Frontier. Another par-
ticipant will be the Bayou Trailblazers Trail Riding Group
who will be in period costume as they ride. A covered
wagon with costumed passengers is also expected to be
part of the parade. A trophy and prize will be awarded to
the most authentic costume.
Following the parade at 11:30 the re-enactment of an
historical shooting incident that occurred in the wagon
yard of downtown Jefferson in 1906 will be performed
in the spot where it actually happened. Board member
Jim Blackburn will portray Sheriff Will S. Terry and
theatre member/actor Mark McKay will play the Deputy
who “went bad”, Charlie Proctor. A narrator will read
briefly read the background of the shooting to the
audience and several theatre members will appear as
some of the citizens who witnessed the event, The
idea to do the re-enactment came from Thomas who
had been told of the incident by her grandfather and
his twin brother many decades back. The two were
witnesses of shooting as young teenagers.
At Noon to 12:30 pm, singer Ann Leslie of Marshall
will entertain with country songs at the Otstott Gazebo.
Ms. Leslie writes her own music and accompanies
herself with recorded background music geared for
all ages.
At 6 pm, the crowds will be steered toward the east
end block of Austin Street where a Street Dance
will play until 8 pm with music by the award-winning
group Sheila and the Caddo Kats. There will be some
seating available and beverages will be available from
nearby businesses.
On Sunday, Sept. 5, a Cook-Out with Barbeque and
Beans will be served beginning noon at the grassy
riverfront area near the stagecoach and horse dis-
play courtesy of the Collins Institute. Entertainment
will begin about noon and continue until 4 pm. Sche-
duled to perform are cowboy singer John Nance,
Ann Leslie and Riley Cox (pending availability). The
Players are also squeezing in a brief audition period
beginning at 4:30 at the Visitor Bldg lobby front to
cast two upcoming productions.
Monday Sept. 6 is the date for the much-anticipated
concert by the fabulous and famous Sons of the Pioneers
who will present a show of just under 2 hrs followed by
an autograph and photo session with the audience. The
groups latest CDs will also be available for purchase.
VIP tickets are sold out but some general seating tickets
The Josey Ranch and Its Competitors Don’t Hold Back at the Josey Jr World The Josey Ranch continues to bring in the best from around the world for the 41st Annual Josey Jr. World
MARSHALL, TX – While most sporting events around the world are seeing a decline in participation and attendance, the 41st Annual Josey Jr. World continued to be a “Must Go To” event in barrel racing as 294 contestants from 16 states competed to take home the title in Marshall, Texas on August 13-15. This annual event is the oldest open to the world youth barrel race and has attracted top youth competitors who have gone on to have successful careers in the sport.
The Josey Jr. World is open to barrel racers 20 years old and under and runs in a 4D (or Divisional) format, which allows every competitor an opportunity to earn money. For all of the Josey events, the format for the qualifying rounds is to drag every five draws, big pack every 50, and reverse the order for the second go so that every competitor has an equal opportunity on the ground. The Joseys set the standard when it comes to taking care of the ground for its competitors.
The Med Vet Pharmaceuticals 1st go on Friday and AIP Energy 2nd go on Saturday were qualifying rounds giving each contestant two chances to make it to the Big Tex Championship SHOOT OUT on Sunday. Tristan Bowles from Gainesville, Texas riding Short Okie Lena placed sixth in the Second Go on Saturday with 16.474 before taking the 1D title on Sunday with a time of 16.097. Eight-year-old Charlie Raye Sohrt from Manvel, Texas had the fastest time on Friday before finishing reserve champion on Little Dash Priest with a time of 16.239 on Sunday.
Mckenna Caudle from Horatio, Arkansas finished first in the 2D riding Toxic Tango with a 16.625, Faith Terry from New Waverly, Texas finished first in the 3D riding Mr JB 118 with a time of 17.105 and Kalyn Albright from Tomball, Texas riding Blue Eyed Beauty finished first in the 4D with a time of 18.163.
Last year’s Josey Jr. World winner, Mallory McGee, qualified in the first go with a fast time of 16.395 for the finals on Sunday, but took a no time with a barrel down. Watching her ride was an inspiration to everyone in attendance as she is currently suffering from an eye injury that has left her legally blind.
“It’s incredible to see a competitor like Mallory fight through the challenges that have been coming at her over the last year,” Martha said. “We are proud to call her a Josey kid.”
With Great sponsors like AIP Energy, Wards Restaurants, Draw it Out, Davis Chemical, and Pietro’s Pizza of Marshall contestants ran for a $10,000 added money barrel race. Support of national and local sponsors like Big Tex Trailers, Circle Y Saddles, Med Vet Pharmaceuticals, Purina, Priefert Ranch and Rodeo Equipment, and the Marshall/Harrison County Chamber of Commerce Martha and R.E. Josey had many super prizes this year. Plus, a Big Tex Trailer was awarded to the 1D winner, with a Circle Y Saddle, Shea Michelle custom belt buckle, an American hat, and 500 pounds of Purina feed given to each of the D winners. They also received other sponsor prizes from Med Vet Pharmaceuticals (MVP), custom 5 Star saddle pads, Draw It Out product, Flair Strips, and much more.
Four more competitors also came out winners as recipients of the annual scholarships awarded during the Josey Jr. World. The Carol Hall Adams Scholarship was given to Jasleigh Montagne, with Sarah Buck earning the Josey Ranch Scholarship and Aly Jurica receiving the Joyce Barney Scholarship, and the Shirley Webb Scholarship was awarded to Kaitlyn Foster. The recipient of the annual “Mom Arthur” award that honors Martha’s mother, was presented to Jami Kay Garrison by Oakley Kay Ellis. The final award was the “Cebe Reed Horse with the Most Heart” honoring Martha’s great horse Cebe Reed, who won 52 consecutive barrel races and seven horse trailers. The choices were so difficult this year the committee decided to honor two great horses. The winners this year were Little Man owned and ridden by Hadlee Huckabee from De Berry, Texas and Little Dash Priest (AKA Snoopy) owned and ridden by Charley Raye Sohrt of Manuel, Texas.
There’s always more than just world class competition at the Josey Jr. World. On Friday night former Josey student and former Jr. World competitor, and the youngest NBHA world champion barrel racer, Chancie Neal, took the stage on Friday night to put on a show for the competitors, their families and the Marshall community. Neal is a platinum-selling songwriter, opened for Luke Bryan for seven years and is featured on his current album that was nominated for an ACM Award. She kicked off her show with her signature song, “Rodeo Money”, but it wasn’t her typical performance when she was joined on stage by the voice of the Josey Ranch, Randy Adams, who is featured on the recorded version of the song. Adams wowed the crowd, and Neal, when he provided live calls during the song that were reminiscent of Neal’s days running barrels on the ranch. Neal later called her sister, Chesnie, up on the stage to play guitar and sing one of their favorite songs, “Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”.
Following in her sister’s footsteps in music and barrel racing, Chesnie qualified for the finals on Sunday.
“I grew up on the Josey Ranch, so this will always be home to me,” Neal said. “What I learned from Mrs. Martha and R.E. not only taught me how to be a champion barrel racer, but a champion in life.”
In addition to the concert that was held during the Fish Fry, the Josey Ranch staff kept everyone entertained throughout the weekend with activities for the whole family, including the NBHA stick horse barrel race, Rope and Run competition, Draw it Out Pony Race, and the hula hoop contest. More fun was provided by the special guest of the weekend, Abby Poole, Miss Rodeo Texas Teen who also presented the flag during the National Anthem each day. With everything going on at the ranch, visitors were able to unplug from the world to enjoy time with the people around them because when you come to the ranch, you become part of the Josey Family.
Plans are underway for the 42nd annual Josey Jr. World with the event moving back to the traditional time in May of 2022.
Jefferson’s first ever Pioneer Days celebration will feature a very unique look for the parade which is scheduled for 10 am on Saturday, Sept. 4.
Making up the entrants for the parade are horse-back riders and wagon riders representing the earliest days of village traffic during Jefferson’s founding period in the early 1840s to the next century when the city grew into one of Texas’ busiest river ports. No motorized vehicles will be permitted in the parade and it is now being opened to youngsters who wish to pretend a little and ride their stick horses and lead the parade, It just so happens that the committee has four stick horses available for the youngsters. They, too, will be wearing outfits reminiscent of an earlier period of cowboys and will have a slightly shorter route than the horse-
back riders and wagons and will be lined up at the very front to lead the parade.
A local store has a few stick horses for sale in the toy department should anybody wish to purchase one. A trophy and a prize will be presented to the person who best represents the pioneer days with their costume.
Following the parade at 11 am, the re-creation of an actual cut- and- shoot incident that happened in the wagon yard of the city in 1906 will be staged.
The incident had to do with the arrest of one of the city’s constables by the Sheriff, W. S. Terry. It will occur in about the same area as the original happened many decades ago. The notorious event was related to descendants of the Brown twins, Horace and George, when they were both well up in years.
The late Dorothy Brown Craver interviewed her uncle George and was told the story while her daughter, Marcia Thomas, conversed with her grandfather Horace about the shooting and many other happenings that occurred during the wild and still somewhat lawless days after the turn of the century. The re-enactment
will be acted by Players board member Jim Blackburn, a retired Collin County sheriff’s department employee and certified law enforcement investigator who will use a genuine holstered pistol and blanks. The other party, Proctor, will be played by Players actor and current general manager of KTAL-TV Mark McKay who is also now a resident of the city. It will be portrayed
at least twice more on Saturday at times to be announced in the wagon yard location. It will likely be performed again on Sunday, Sept 5, at the Dutch Over Cooks and Barbeque food event with entertainment at the boat launch on the riverfront.
At 6 pm on Saturday, a street dance will be held featuring the award-winning country band Sheila and the Caddo Kats. The dance will be set up on Austin Street near Polk Street and run down to Walnut Street. Some chairs will be available for on-lookers and participants and the music will be the old early country tunes of yesteryear including some from Hank Williams
among others. A trophy and a prize will be given to the person whose costume most represents authentic pioneer days attire. All activities on Saturday and Sunday are free to attend.
A concert by the famous singing group the Sons of the Pioneers is
scheduled for 3 pm on Monday, Sept. 6 at the Visitor Center. Although VIP tickets are sold out, there are still some general seating tickets left but purchases should be made as soon as possible since the seating is somewhat limited. There are no plans to sell tickets are the door at this time. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at The Willow Tree or online at http://www.JeffersonOperaHouseTheatrePlayers.com
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Chasing The Reunion Championship The weekend recap from The 28th Annual Josey Ranch Reunion
MARSHALL, TX – To Josey students there is one title that holds a special significance, and that is the Josey Reunion Championship. The 28th annual Josey Reunion is hosted every year in Marshall Texas, by World Champions R.E. and Martha Josey. This annual event draws contestants from across the world to compete as Josey Students in the Reunion Barrel Race.
This year the ranch hosted 431 contestants from 15 different states. For some this is a title they chase every year, including Waskom barrel racer Sheryl Gamboa.
Gamboa has been attending Josey Clinics since she was eight years old and has run in the Josey Reunion for many years. In 2020 she claimed the Josey Reunion Reserve Championship title, but this year she was after the Championship. Riding her four-year-old partner, Starrin Baby Rose, Gamboa claimed the title with a 16.154 in the Purina Shoot Out.
Before the championship runs action began Thursday night with the merican Hat Company 3D Pole Bending competition. Contenders charged down the Josey alleyway for their chance at the Pole Bending Championship and a set of Josey Pole Bases. Aspen Grant from Buna, TX riding PC Frosted Freedom claimed the champion title with a 20.452.
The Josey Reunion Barrel Race had 431 entries from 16 states vying for the Champion title with the champion taking home a Big Tex trailer. Each Division winner received a Shea Michelle custom belt buckle, Circle Y saddle, an American hat, and 500 pounds of Purina feed. They also received other sponsor prizes from Med Vet Pharmaceuticals (MVP), custom 5 Star saddle pads, Draw It Out product, Flair Strips, and much more.
At Josey events the format for the qualifying rounds is to drag every 5 draws, big pack every 50, and reverse the order for the second go. “This format is not designed to run 50+ every hour,” stated Josey announcer Randy Adams from Cookeville, TN. “It is designed to give every contestant an equal opportunity on the ground instead of it being just a draw contest”.
The championship barrel races at the Josey Ranch were the first to drag at less than 10 runners, and the first place to use more than one tractor in the arena.
As the sun rose each morning over the piney woods of East Texas, the Josey Reunion started the day as they always do, by flying the Stars and Stripes and an opening prayer followed by the National Anthem. Colors were presented by Amanda Schenck, a member of the Six White Horses Drill Team from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, TX.
The Circle Y Saddlery first round action was intense and saw former Reunion champion Pete Oen from Maysville, OK take the top two qualifying spots, first was on VC Go Go Fling with a time of 16.021, the fastest time of the weekend, 2nd in the 1st Division was Pete Oen riding Margarita Red Rita with a time of 16.215.
Day two of qualifying was sponsored by Priefert Rodeo and Ranch Equipment and started with “America, Why I Love Her” by John Wayne and the flag was presented by Miss Rodeo Texas Bobbi Loran from Scotland, TX. This was followed by the opening prayer and our National Anthem. When the dust settled, Brynn Hinton from Waxahachie, TX riding Legs Gone Wild stopped the clock at 16.148 for the top spot.
Steve Tucker, President of Circle Y Saddlery, presented Martha Josey a commissioned original painting of Martha making a competition run matted by hand tooled leather and a medallion, to commemorate Martha’s induction into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, CO. and in appreciation of all she and R.E have done for the sport of barrel racing.
Saturday wrapped up with a pony barrel race sponsored by Draw It Out. Harper Knuckles and her pony G-ray took the title with a 17.374. The pony race was followed by a new event – Rope and Run. Rope and Run is a team event with one person roping a dummy calf from the Priefert Speed Trainer then the other partner running a condensed barrel pattern. Time starts when the roper nods and stops when the runner crosses the finish line. While not a rodeo event this was fun for contestants and spectators alike. Brianna Woodmansee and Austin McCalister took the first annual Rope ‘N’ Run Championship title.
Championship Sunday always begins with a church service in the main arena followed by the awarding of scholarships. This year the scholarships were in honor of; Sandy Smith awarded to Dandy Smith, Thomas Mitchell awarded to Jaden Thomas, and Bobby Arthur awarded to Ashton Padon. There was also the presentation of the Sonny Bit O’ Both Horse with the Most Heart
Award. This year’s recipient was DC Dualin Eagles (Cujo) owned and ridden by Faith Gilbreath.
For the Championship Purina Shootout on Sunday the qualifiers from the previous 2 days run from the slowest qualifying time to the fastest. In this format to ensure each contestant has the best possible ground the arena crew drags every 2 draw positions. The short go is a “clean slate” barrel race with no times carried forward from the qualifying rounds.
Following the presentation of Johnny Cash’s “The Ragged Old Flag” and the opening prayer, Keaton Bradberry sang our National Anthem as Miss Rodeo Texas Bobbi Loran presented the colors.
145 qualifiers from 12 different states competed with the title on the line in the Purina Shootout. Last year’s reunion reserve champion, Sheryl Gamboa from Waskom, TX riding Starrin Baby Rose took the lead with 38 competitors left and held on to claim the title. The 2nd Division champion was Bryana Woodmansee from Preston Park, PA with a time of 16.669 aboard AH Miss Cowgirl. The 3rd Divison was won by Catherine Medlock on Eye N Easy. The El Dorado, AR cowgirl stopped the clock at 17.183 for the win. The 4th Division champion title went to the Bluegrass State as Rilee Leasor from Rineyville, KY riding Cesico stopped the clock in a time of 18.276.
It was a great weekend of competition, reuniting with old friends and making new friends – everything a reunion is supposed to be. “Martha and I always try to keep up with our students and their accomplishments both in and out of the arena,” explained R.E. Josey. “Once you are a ‘Josey Kid’ you are always one of ours”. Plans are underway for the 29th annual Josey Ranch
Reunion Roundup as the event will move back to the traditional time in May of 2022.
Recently, on a Friday night, we decided to visit McGarity’s Restaurant located off the lobby of the Clarion Pointe Hotel in Marshall, Texas. Ron asked me to make reservations and I rolled my eyes. I thought, a new restaurant, and early reservations. HA! But I did.
Unfortunately there was a mixup with our reservation but we were quickly seated in an area off the lobby and a waitress took our drink order. As we sat waiting for our table I noticed a line of people forming and I’m very glad we had reservations.
If you are looking for a quiet, intimate place to have a drink, this isn’t it. There is nothing in the area to absorb the noise. However, lots of people enjoy a lively bar atmosphere and if you are checking out or in, you would never notice. We did not have long to wait for our table.
When I asked for the wine list, our waitress said she would bring the menus. She meant menus. One for beer, one for cocktails and one for wine. I ordered a Chardonnay from New Zealand made by Oyster Bay. Ron chose an Ecco Domani Merlot. The restaurant has such a large variety they might consider serving flights of wine or beer to pair with their Charcuterie board.
The appetizer menu was tantalizing as was the dessert menu. However we both ordered the same thing…seared ahi tuna, asparagus and a salad. All were perfect.
The service was polite, timely and attentive.
As you can see my review is quite limited because both of us ordered the same item. On our next trip we will share an appetizer, order different entrees and share a dessert.
Check this site out for results of our next trip to McGarity’s.
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The years between 1970 and 1975 were the most enjoyable working years of my life. I had completed my masters degree at UC, Berkeley and returned to Mare Island Naval Ship. I was putting my education to use.
On my first day back at the shipyard, I scheduled an appointment with the new Chief Design Engineer. I asked him to transfer me from the Scientific Section to the Engineering Computer Applications Section. I told him I had heard they had an opening in the group and I thought I would be more useful to the shipyard in that position. He agreed and I was in a new office the next day.
I loved this job. I had the opportunity to write computer software to solve many engineering and engineering management problems. There was a lot of demand for this service and by 1973 my customer base had expanded from the Design Division to several other departments.
At some point that year I got a call from one of the nuclear managers on the shipyard. He asked me to come to his office. I met with a group of five managers. They explained the shipyard had a problem. They said that the shipyard had difficulty maintaining the proper levels of special purpose handling gear (SPHG) and the problem had come to the attention of the Naval Reactors Office (NRO).
SPHG are clamps, cables, etc. used during the refueling of the nuclear reactors on submarines in overhaul. Since there is no room for error on a nuclear lift every piece of SPHG has to be recertified on a periodic schedule.
These nuclear managers wanted a computer program that could determine the proper inventory level for each type of SPHG and manage the recertification schedules. What could I recommend?
I had recently returned to the shipyard from two weeks of numerical analysis training at the University of Michigan. The instructor had spent 4-hours on computer simulation.
Without much thought I told them that I recommended an inventory control program to manage the recertification process. To determine the proper inventory levels I recommended a simulation program to simulate all of the nuclear lifts scheduled for the shipyard during the next year. To address overhaul slips and other factors I said that a random number generator could be used. I suggest making multiple simulation runs and collecting the detailed results from each run. Finally using statistical analysis techniques to establish an inventory level range for each type of SPHG.
The managers liked the solution. They asked if I could write the software and how long would it take?
I said “yes” and “3 months to complete.”
They said “start work tomorrow with unlimited overtime available.”
I was sure I could do it even though I had never written software to do more than 50% of what I had promised.
The next day I started my 12+hr day, 7 day a week schedule. Most of those 12 hour days were close to 16 hour but I was 30 years old and never got tired.
By the end of week three the inventory control system was complete and working as advertised. It was put into production.
I next started on the simulation software. By week 8, I was confident the project was going to be a success. I thought I was making good progress.
Then I got a call from one of the nuclear managers. He said that the Mare Island’s NRO representative had briefed Adm. Rickover on the project. He then said that when Rickover learned that the solution to the problem included using a computer simulation the “shit hit the fan.” Rickover told the NRO representative to tell Mare Island to kill the project immediately.
The nuclear manager told me to stop work that day. He said not to bother saving any of the software because it would ever be used as long as Rickover was around.
I was disappointed but not particularly surprised. Rickover was widely known to distrust computers and often threw temper tantrums when hearing something he did not like.
As the years have gone by I have thought about my solution to this problem many times. Today, I want to publicly thank Adm. Rickover for killing this project. He may have saved my career.
Over time I began to question if I could have successfully written all the simulation software. I am even less sure about the statistical analysis software.
If the shipyard managers had told Rickover they had a solution and spent thousands of dollars working on the solution and failed, heads would have rolled. The first head to reach the bottom of the hill would justifiably have been Ron Munden’s.
Since the project was killed after the inventory control software was put into production, everyone, including me, assumed that the rest would go as smoothly. Everyone in the Shipyard thought my solution would have solved the problem if Richover had not killed the project. By phone, several of the nuclear managers thanked me for my work. Of course there was nothing in writing.
I walked away with my reputation intact and lived to program another day. Thank you Adm. Rickover for saving me from myself.
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George Smith has opinions and he shares them on the website.
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Dr. Jim Harris provides frequent updates and the COVID pandemic. His work has been amazing and the community is lucky to have this resource working for us. All his reports are posted on the website. Stay informed by reading his articles.
NOTE: Information in this document is drawn from the historical research of Dr. John Tennison. His sources can be found on his comprehensive website http://www.bowofo.org/
Probably, the first boogie woogie ever played was in a logging camp barrelhouse in the Piney Woods near Marshall. Pianos were often placed in these temporary sheds to keep workers entertained and in the camps at night. Steam locomotives were a constant presence and no doubt strongly influenced the recently emancipated African Americans who were developing their own unique styles of playing …
Please read this interesting story and view the historic photographs by clicking on one of the links below.
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