Seasoned Riders Rock

Martha Josey was born in 1938 in Gregg County, Texas, where her love for horses blossomed early, inspired by her father, who was a director of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). She began riding ponies as a child, but faced a heartbreaking loss at age 10 when her father passed away from a heart attack. To support her passion for riding, her mother rented their land for oil, allowing Martha to purchase a gelding named CeBe Reed.

 

After being inspired by a rodeo during her teenage years, she trained CeBe Reed for barrel racing competitions. Martha's journey with CeBe Reed led to an impressive 52 consecutive wins and numerous accolades, including seven horse trailers. Together, they competed in the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 1968 and 1969, earning $3,421 in prize money in 1969, which enabled Martha to pursue professional barrel racing full. Her second horse, Sonny Bit O'Both, took her to the NFR for four consecutive years (1978-1981) and made history by winning both the AQHA and WPRA championships in the same year. In 1980, she reached the pinnacle of her sport by claiming the barrel racing world championship at the NFR, having many horses throughout her career.

 

In 2000, she began her fifth decade of competition with the horse Joe B Jammin, recording the fastest time at the Lone Star Finals that year. They went on to be the Go Round Winner at the 2001 Copenhagen Cup Finale in Dallas, Texas. In 2002, she achieved first and second place in the NBHA Holiday Classic in Jackson, Mississippi, riding Joe B. Jammin and Sweet Sailin' Six, and closed 2003 with a championship in the Equus America competition in Houston, Texas, along with a reserve championship in the AQHA World rodeo event in Oklahoma City. In 2004, she acquired Red Man Bay, and the duo won the 2004 NBHA Holiday Classic Sr. 1 D Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, and achieved the 2004 and 2005 NBHA Sr. Division Reserve World Championships. However, in March 2004, Josey suffered a severe accident at a rodeo in Austin, Texas, resulting in two skull fractures, a broken pelvis, six broken, and a punctured. Despite being told she may never walk or ride again she defied the odds, training daily in a swimming pool with her husband, and regained her strength to ride and compete professionally. After her accident, Josey became a strong advocate for wearing equestrian helmets, endorsing Troxel riding helmets and safety gear. As of 2009 she continued to compete in barrel racing.

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Martha changed the sport of barrel racing. She is still active sharing her knowledge of the sport with the next generation of barrel racers as she has done since the 1960's at Josey Ranch.