Matlock Rose, born Berry Matlock Rose (1924–2008), was a professional

horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

for over 60 years. He established a reputation as an all-around cowboy and trainer of champions. Rose was often described as stonefaced, a man of few words, but long held the respect of his peers. He was referred to as a trainers' trainer, and considered a legend. He trained multiple AQHA world champions, five NCHA world champions, was inducted into the

American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum was created by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), based in Amarillo, Texas. Ground breaking construction of the Hall of Fame Museum began in 1989. The distinction is earned by people and ...

in 2001, as well as both the

NCHA Rider Hall of Fame NCHA may refer to: *National Cultural Heritage Administration, an administrative agency subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China. *Northern Collegiate Hockey Association *National Cutting Horse Associati ...

and the

NCHA Members Hall of Fame NCHA Members Hall of Fame was established in 1977 by the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) to honor those members who have demonstrated "through their own efforts and those of the horses they raise" over a period time, their dedication to ...

. The first famous cutting horse he trained was Jesse James and many other great horses followed but he was best known for training

Peppy San Peppy San (1959–1989), a Quarter Horse stallion, has the distinction of the being the first National Cutting Horse Association (or NCHA) World Champion to sire an NCHA World Champion.Holmes ''Legends 6'' pp. 136–147 Life Peppy San was foale ...

and Peponita.

Early life

Matlock Rose was born and raised in

North Texas North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort W ...

near Hill Town, later known as Little Elm which is located approximately from

Aubrey, Texas Aubrey is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,006 at the 2020 census. History Aubrey, the town, was officially founded 1867, when Civil War veteran Lemuel Noah Edwards (1838–1910) built the second frame house th ...

. He was the only son of five children born to Pauline and Sam Rose. Sam farmed

oats The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human co ...

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

and

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

, and also raised cattle. As a small boy, Matlock often rode double in the saddle with his father to check cattle. He grew up working on the family ranch under his father's guidance, which is where he learned horsemanship and developed his early skills as a trainer. He knew how to

shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the Foot, human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from cult ...

horses, and train them in various disciplines but he was particularly fond of

calf roping Calf roping, also known as tie-down roping, is a rodeo event that features a calf and a rider mounted on a horse. The goal of this timed event is for the rider to catch the calf by throwing a loop of rope from a lariat around its neck, dismo ...

and

cutting Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Implements commonly used for cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scalpel and ...

. He was also a good competitor as he demonstrated early on in high school playing catcher on a championship baseball team. After graduating, he served in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Early career

Matlock trained and showed many horses in various performance disciplines to earn their championships, including

halter A halter or headcollar is headgear that is used to lead or tie up livestock and, occasionally, other animals; it fits behind the ears (behind the poll), and around the muzzle. To handle the animal, usually a lead rope is attached. On smalle ...

, reining,

roping Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a rodeo event that features a steer (typically a Corriente) and two mounted riders. The first roper is referred to as the "header", the person who ropes the front of the steer, usually around th ...

and

in AQHA

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longe ...

competition. He also competed successfully in NCHA

cutting horse A cutting horse is a stock horse, typically an American Quarter Horse, bred and trained for cutting, a modern equestrian competition requiring a horse and rider to separate a single cow from a herd of cattle and prevent it from getting back to ...

events. After his service in the Navy, Matlock returned to ranch work and secured his first major job training

Quarter Horses The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at ...

at 3D's Stock Farm for W.T. Waggoner from 1946 to 1948. At the time, Bob Burton was foreman of the horse division, and Pine Johnson, who trained and showed

Poco Bueno __NOTOC__ Poco Bueno was a brown American Quarter Horse stallion foaled April 10, 1944.Simmons ''Legends'' p. 31-37 He was sired by King P-234 and out of the mare Miss Taylor who was by Old Poco Bueno. Poco Bueno was named for his maternal grands ...

, was their cutting horse trainer. His next job was at Lester Goodson's J3 Ranch in

Magnolia, Texas Magnolia is a city in southwestern Montgomery County, Texas, United States within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. It is named for the magnolia trees that grow in the area.Bubba Cascio worked together and became longtime friends. Matlock left J3 Ranch and went to work for Ben Fussell who had purchased Jessie James. The pair were reunited and ended the year with an NCHA Reserve World Championship. From 1953 to 1958, Matlock worked for B.F. Phillips at the Phillips Ranch,

Frisco, Texas Frisco is a city in Collin and Denton counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and about from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Its population was 200,509 at the ...

. He showed horses in AQHA halter and performance events, the latter of which including roping and cutting. In 1957, he showed Steel Bars at halter to earn the AQHA High Point Halter Stallion award. His next job was with Pinehurst Ranch for Edgar Brown III of Houston, Texas, until 1959 when he partnered with George Tyler,

Gainesville, Texas Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Cooke County, Texas, United States. Its population was 16,002 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Texoma region and is an important Agri-business center. History Founded in 1850, the city of Gain ...

. They advertised their horse business in the Quarter Horse Journal using the slogan, "Our horses are broke, and we are too." From 1960 to 1963, Matlock worked at the G.B. Howell Ranch in

Seagoville, Texas Seagoville ( ) is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Dallas. A small portion of Seagoville extends into Kaufman County. The population was 14,835 at the 2010 census. The city is located along U.S. Highway 175, from do ...

, and "had great influence on both the cutting and Quarter Horse worlds." It was in 1962 at the NCHA Futurity that Matlock rode Peppy San to win Reserve Futurity Open Champion. In 1963, Howell dispersed his Quarter Horse business.

Rose Ranch

In 1964, Matlock established the Matlock Rose Ranch located north of

. A year later, he purchased a cutting mare named Stardust Desire in partnership with his long time friend George Tyler. She eventually sold to the Douglas Lake Cattle Company, Ltd. owned by C.N. "Chunky" Woodward, a Canadian rancher and businessman. Matlock continued to show the mare for Woodward and in 1966, the pair won their first NCHA World Championship. In 1967, Matlock was reunited with Peppy San, the senior sire for Woodward's Douglas Lake Cattle Company. The pair won the 1967 NCHA World Championship.

Personal life

Matlock's son, Sam, was the result of his previous marriage to "Freddie" Bush Rose (1927 - 2004), sister to Stanley Bush,

(1989) and

Honoree (2003). His second marriage was to Joy Fields, and resulted in two daughters, Julie and Judy. His third marriage was to Carol Ramsey in 1968, and they resided on Matlock's training and Quarter Horse breeding facility in

, where they stood several world champion stallions, including Peppy San and Zan Parr Bar, both of whom were inducted into the

AQHA Hall of Fame The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum was created by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), based in Amarillo, Texas. Ground breaking construction of the Hall of Fame Museum began in 1989. The distinction is earned by people an ...

. Matlock and Carol hauled together on the show circuit competing in NCHA and AQHA sponsored events throughout the US. They divorced in 1984, and as part of the divorce settlement, Carol kept Zan Parr Bar and Genuine Doc, while Matlock took Peppy San and Peponita and relocated to

Van, Texas Van is a city located in southeastern Van Zandt County, Texas, United States about 26 miles northwest of Tyler. Its population was 2,632 at the 2010 census. The town draws its name from an early settler and school teacher Henry Vance. History Va ...

. He later met and married LaVerne Johnson.

Major career wins

*1951 NCHA Reserve World Champion riding Jesse James *1966 World Champion riding Stardust Desire *1967 NCHA World Champion and NCHA Tournament of Champions Champion riding

*1968 NCHA Top Ten and NCHA Tournament of Champions Champion riding Christmas Four *1969 NCHA Futurity Winner riding Cee Bars Joan *1970 NCHA Top Ten riding Moira Girl *1971 NCHA Top Ten riding Gay Bars Gen *1974 NCHA Derby Co-Champion riding Chucky's Monkey *1975 NCHA World Champion riding Peppy's Desire *1976 NCHA (twice) Top Ten riding Chunky's Monkey and Peponita *1978 AQHA World Champion Senior Cutting Horse riding Peponita *1979 NCHA World Champion and NCHA Finals Champion riding Peponita.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rose, Matlock Western horse trainers American Quarter Horse owners and breeders 1924 births 2008 deaths NCHA Hall of Fame (riders) People from Little Elm, Texas AQHA Hall of Fame (members) United States Navy personnel of World War II