Connie Douglas Reeves
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Connie Douglas Reeves (September 26, 1901 – August 17, 2003) was believed to be America's oldest cowgirl.[1] She was the oldest member of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and one of the first women to study law at a Texas law school. One of Reeves most notable quotes was "Always saddle your own horse", which Liz Smith once suggested in her gossip column was "not a bad motto, even if you are just getting into your Mercedes."[1] In 1998, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum awarded Reeves the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award for her contributions to the Western way of life. She was one of only two women to have earned the award;[1] the other being Mollie Taylor Stevenson, Jr., founder of the American Cowboy Museum.[2]
Early History
Reeves was born in Eagle Pass, Texas to William and Ada (Wallace) Douglas.[3] She received her undergraduate degree in speech from Texas Woman's University. She enrolled in the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, but was forced to withdraw and get a job to help her family during the hard economic times of the Great Depression. Reeves taught at Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, where she started the "Lassos", the first girl’s drill team or pep squad which is still active.[4][3] She also worked part-time as a riding instructor at a local stable. She grew up around horses and was quoted as saying that she sat on a horse before she could sit up by herself.
In 1936, she joined the equestrian program at Camp Waldemar in Hunt where she taught horseback riding to girls for 67 years.[1] It is estimated that she taught 30,000 girls how to ride at the camp.[5][6]
Reeves met her husband Jack at the camp and the couple married in 1942. They managed a 10,000 acres (40 km2) sheep and cattle ranch owned by former President Lyndon B. Johnson[1] for more than forty years when camp was not in session. Jack Reeves died in 1985.
Recognition
She was elected to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1997, and rode in the parade to honor the Hall when it moved to new headquarters in Fort Worth in 2002. She was over 100 years old at the time.[7]
Death
On August 5, 2003, Reeves was riding Dr Pepper, a spirited 28-year-old paint, and her favorite horse to ride. The horse threw her over its head,[6] Camp Waldemar Director Meg Clark said Reeves, who has taught riding to girls at the camp for almost 70 years, was riding her favorite horse, Dr. Pepper, at approximately 11 a.m. when the horse threw her over its head. and Reeves suffered a broken neck, but she was not paralyzed by the fall. The Kerrville (Tex.) Daily Times reported. The Associated Press said she died of cardiac arrest. She had been injured several times in the last few years of her life, including having been kicked by the same horse, resulting in a fractured thigh.[8]
Her autobiography, I Married a Cowboy: Half Century with Girls & Horses at Camp Waldemar, was published in 1995. Her motto was, "Always saddle your own horse."
References
- ^ a b c d e Martin, Douglas (August 25, 2003). "Connie Reeves, a Cowgirl Until the End, Dies at 101". New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ "Mollie Taylor Stevenson, Jr. 2001 Cowgirl Honoree". Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ a b "Connie Reeves". dailytimes.com. August 19, 2003. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ Arias, Stefanie (April 2, 2013). "Jefferson's Lassos Dance Team is Tied to a Proud School History". Hearst. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ Sullivan, Caitlin (November 2008). "A Saddle Story". Texas Highways. p. 11. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ a b Raymond, Jeff (August 7, 2003). "Reeves Injured In Riding Accident". Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ "Connie Douglas Reeves - Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum". Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
- ^ Duryea, Bill. "A cowgirl's final ride," St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved Nov. 2, 2008.
External links
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