Hi my name is Joanie Cowden and I welcome you to Cowden Horses
I was born in Cody Wyoming, my family were all ranching, rodeo and horse trainers for many generations. I learned to ride a horse by the time I was two. My Dad (Dick Curtis) would put me on his young gray stallion bareback and I would ride around the barn and corrals. One time I fell off and I insisted Borge bucked me off. From that day on if you did get bucked off my Dad would say "You just fell off". On the ranch I had a great up bringing, lots of family, lots of animals, lots of work but always lots of Love. Hard work, positive thinking and lots of understanding makes a winner. We moved to Big Timber MT. when I was two, then to Melville and then to Browning to the 3C--, When I was 14 we moved back to Cody WY to the TWO Dot Ranch.
We were a great family there was me, my Mom (Betty), Dad, My brother Doug. My grandparents Edith and Chuck Curtis, My Uncle Chuck and his wife Marion, My Uncle Earl, his wife Frances and their kids, Linda Stan Bob and Ann.
Horses have always been the main thing in my family's lives. My great Grandfather was a horse trader, and rodeo producer. He furnished the bucking horses for the very first Warbonnet Stampede in Idaho Falls Idaho. He also sold horses to the famed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
My grand father CW (Chuck) Curtis) was a great horseman and rancher. He managed the famous Pitchfork Ranch in Meeteetse WY at age 21. Grampa was the subject of many of the famous Belden photos. I learned a lot about horses, cows and life from My Grampa.
My dad was a pioneer in horsemanship. He ran the horse part of the ranch. We had over a hundred head of horses. He trained roping horses, race horses and everything in between. He had top rodeo horses every one he raised and trained himself, Calf roping, team roping, steerwrestling, cutting horses and helped me with my barrel horses. He with his partner Lyle Ellis started C& E Rodeo Company and in 1973 had the Saddle Bronc of the NFR , Rip Cord.
My dad spend hour after hour reading vet books in the evening studying the horse and conformation. He was an outstanding horseshoer, who was retained by many of the top vets in the area to shoe horses for them.
Why has my life been about horses, I guess you now know where I got it from. My dad taught me to work, ride, rope and win. He taught me horses from the inside out. My Uncle Chuck was a calf roper and ran the farming end of the ranch from him I feel I learned , kindness, and how to ty a calf. My uncle Earl was one of the hardest working men I ever knew, no matter how hard a day we had to put in he was always laughing and joking . Uncle Earl ran most of the cattle end of the ranch. Earl loved to rope steers.
Then there was Grannie, she was the greatest, only five feet tall she could do most everything. From my grandmother I learned accounting, where I helped in the ranch office often. My Mom was always busy cooking for hired men. My Mom tired to teach me how to do girl things some I did learn. My Mom is the most talented women I ever meet, if it needs done she can do it.
I started competing at open rodeos at age 10, on a calf roping horse I trained my self. His name was Andy, we had a lot to learn and no help, so I learned by trial and error, I watched every one I could.
I went to open rodeos with my Dad in Montana, learning as I went barrel racing was new then and quite different from today. You jacked up your sturrips and had your horses so high they were crazy. We almost always had to ride in the parade down town so you could have a barrel race, no money added, hand flagged and the barrels were not marked just set out there. When we moved back to Cody they had some jr rodeos this was great. I excelled in jr and High School rodeos winning 15 all around saddles, our rodeos paid money so it made it worth while. I qualified for four national high school finals but they did not pay money so my Dad allowed me to go to one. He said he could only afford one glory trip to stay home go to the rodeos and win money, and win I did every where I went .
In the summer of 1967 I meet a young California team roper named Dub Cowden,this was the next step in my life. We were married June 1, 1968, one week after I graduated from Cody High school. Dub roped and I ran barrel, we both worked on my family ranch. In 1970 our first son was born, Jake Al. Dub was working at the race take in Ca, so Jake and I spent the summer with him, but by fall we went back to the ranch. In 1972 we went to the famous Chowchilla Stampede for Dub to rope, while we were there I seen a big ugly roan gelding, boy could he run. I asked my brother-inlaw about him, He said he had bucked off every jockey at the race track, and every roper that had tried to rope on him, but all he needed was someone to trust. I could take him home for $1200.00 and pay when I could. I loaded Roany in the trailer and never got on him until we got to Cody WY. It was match only God could have been in control of. One year to the day Roany won the prestige GRA (wpra) barrel race at the Chowchilla Stampede. I filled my permit and my pro career started. Roany took me to many wins Cheyenne, Denver, Cody Stampede, Tucson, to name a few. One fourth of July weekend Roany won first at Lander WY, Red Lodge MT, Livingston MT and second at Greeley Co and Cody Stampede, all in four days time. Roany put me in the top 15 in the world and in September at Rifle Co we fell and ripped Roanys stifle, Roany would be out the rest of the year as my name went from 6th to 16th while Roany healed. The next year I started at Denver and back to getting checks, back to the top 15. Then it happened again in June at Greybull WY I reached down and held a barrel from tipping, there was a great pain in my back but I won the rodeo. When I got off Roany the pain was very intent but I had been raised on a ranch where pain was life and I had a lot of rodeos to go to, so off I went. the pain finally got so bad I just could not ride right so I went to the Doc. My spine and pelvis was separated, but because the Doc did not know what to do he put me in bed for six weeks. The NFR was again out of my reach as I went to 18 place by the end of the season. In 1975 our son Clint Curtis was born, one week after Clint was born, Roany and I entered the pro rodeo at Thermopolis WY. Both of us out of shape we placed 3rd . all the top 15 were there, boy was I proud of that big old horse. With two boys to tend I decided to sell Roany, he went to Canada and won a lot more. My family sold the ranch and our lives changed a lot.
We moved into town, for the first time in my life, My Mom, Dad moved to 40 acers with 125 head of horses and some cows, so we started selling broodmares and stallions. My parents then moved to AZ and we moved to the 40 acres with my grandparents. Dub made his way with a rope and qualified for the NFR in 1977, I trained horses and barrel raced. The boys had horses, dogs and a goat and land to play on not like the 250,000 acres of the Two Dot but they had a good life. I soon went to work for Husky Oil Company in accounts receivable. I worked full time, rodeo on the weekend and rode 6or 7 head of horses at night. All summer I competed at the Cody Nite Rodeo, it was great for my young horses. Winters were long, On weekends we went to indoor arena they had roping and barrel races . When the boys got old enough they wanted to Ski, they had all the road they wanted. Jake loved skiing, he went on to be on the high school ski team, attended University of Wyoming on the ski team until he blew out both knees, which ended his ski racing. Jake is still involve in skiing as he currently work for Sun Valley Corp. drives snow cat and coaches skiing. My grandson Hayden is a great ski racer. Clint skied but when he was in 3rd grade we moved to Ca, Jake stayed in Cody with my grandparents. Clint turned his interest to roping and agriculture. Agriculture won out, FFA and football was his calling in high school. Clint went to Cal Poly and is now an agricultural engineer and the professor at West Hills College in CA.
Dub and I decided to move to CA, where his folks lived. I had qualified for two Mountain States circuit finals and 5 Montana Circuit finals.
In Patterson CA. We lived on BeGun Big Valley Ranch . Dub and I worked part time at other jobs and the rest at the ranch. I still trained a lot of horses and barrel raced. Over the years Dub and I have bounced back an forth with race horses, rodeoing and rodeo horses. In 1996 we moved to McNeal AZ by my parents and my brother. I was the women's rodeo coach at Cochise College for one year, my girls won the Grand Canyon region. Over the years I have been blessed with many many pro rodeo horses, Won or placed at every major rodeo in the western states, qualified for Houston twice, Cheyenne, and Calgary Stampede, won some of the biggest and tuffest rodeos in the northwest , west coast , Montana and the rockies. I have qualified for 2 Mountain States Circuit Finals, 5 Montana Circuit Finals 1 Wilderness, 1 California Circuit Finals and 8 Turquoise Circuit Finals, 4 WPRA World Finals. I went twice to Ft. Worth. I have been listed in the top 15, top 20 and top 30 several times. I have competed and won on many many horses all of which I have trained.
My life has been very good, I have hundreds of rodeo friends, traveled the west, worked with some of the fasts race horses, learned to ride cutting horses, jumping horses, I can drive a team of horses, I know cattle from every aspect, I can rope (I don't like to rope).
I salute the best horses of my life Andy, Jose, Roany, Frankie Cotton, Brownie, TC, Sade, Hollywood.
My very best were Roany,( a little Request- Top Moon) Brownie ( we raised him at the ranch, King Ranch breeding) TC ( son of Tiny Charger-Three Bars) Hollywood ( Beduino-Easy Jet).
Currently I am training some and competing some, I am focusing more on my appraisal business. I still give lessons and camps. I really enjoy the Equine Appraisal business, and I love kids and love to help kids. The last few years I have struggled with injuries to myself and my horses. I have competed on several client horses as well as my own. My current horses are a Big Black that is very big and very fast, I believe that is why he get hurt so much. I also have a mare I raised she is a half sister to my great horse TC.
I no longer have the desire to be on the road and away from home. I want to go to the top with my appraisal business. I would like one more rodeo horse, for one more circuit finals. The most important things in my life now are My walk with my Lord, Jesus Christ, My husband , Dub( of 40 years) My boys Jake and Clint. My Grandchildren, Hayden, Hilde, Cory, Colby and Nyha. Our spiritual children Steve and Lana. My Mom, My brother Doug and this wife Kathy and their family. My life will always have Jesus, family and Horses, What else makes you a winner?
Thank you for visiting Cowden Horses, I would like to be of service to you in one or more of our area's Lessons, Training, Appraisals, Sales or let me find you a horse. Honest, hard working, ready to share a life time of knowledge.
Joanie Cowden
