The Superior Express -

A question asked on social media yesterday, was “ What is a word you most associate with your mother?” It didn’t take me long to come up with my word associated with my mother. It would be “Horses”! She grew up with horses. Her father, Henry Heskett, was a true cowboy of the western plains of Kansas. He broke horses, was a horse trader, and liked to ride them. When my parents, sister and I, moved off the farm near Burr Oak to Stockton,Kan., the “horse fever” really hit Mother. Dad must have eventually caught it as he too became active in the Stockton Saddle Club. Mother would try and try again to get her three daughters to carry on her interest in horses, first by purchasing ponies for us to ride. She would enter us in the lead pony competition at local horse shows. As my sisters and I grew up, her interest in horses just didn’t stay with us as much as she would have liked.

It was during the early to mid-1950s that saddle clubs were popular in Jewell County, Stockton, and the surrounding towns. The Buffalo Valley Saddle Club, Jewell, was started in the late 1940s and remained active until the early 1960s. It was an active club whose main officers during those years were Vic Tullar, Ewing Hutchcraft, Ray Burnham, Warren Kelley, LeRoy Foulke, Clark Oplinger and George Wilson. The Buffalo Valley Saddle Club would meet Sunday afternoon to practice flag drills. Club members also did square dancing as they rode their horses. This club not only participated in horse shows but also in many parades. The club was asked to show flag drills and square dancing at the Beloit fair and at the Phillipsburg Rodeo.

In the late 1950s or early 1960s, the Jewell County Westerners or Westernairs Saddle Club was organized out of Mankato. This club drew riders from all over the county.

Other active saddle clubs during the 1950s included Limestone Saddle Club, Glen Elder, and the Northbranch Saddle Club that had grounds east of the cemetery. In the late 1950s, a Burr Oak Saddle Club was organized.

One of the main horse shows was called the Boots and Saddle Club Show. The third annual show was held September 16, with the Northbranch Saddle Club hosting. The saddle clubs participating were, Limestone of Glen Elder, Red Cloud, Phillips County Riders of Logan, Kensington, Osborne, Stockton and Northbranch. The show was held in Burr Oak under the football field lights. Winners were: Lead Pony- Bobby Korb, Northbranch Club first,Gale Jeffery, Northbranch Club second, Rita Shore, Phillips Co. Club third, Glenna Boyles, Stockton Club fourth; Flag Race for ages 6-9- Larkie Korb, Northbranch Club first, Jerry Heskett, Northbranch Club second, Mike Caldwell, Northbranch Club third, Lynda Pugh, Northbranch Club fourth. Flag Race ages 10-13– Kirby Legg, Phillips Co. Club first, Carolyn Pugh, Northbranch Club second, David Buster, Northbranch Club third. Flag Race for ages 14-17– Judy Hamilton, Stockton Club first, Jim Braden, Limestone Club second, Joan Decker, Northbranch Club, third, Ruth Heskett, Northbranch Club fourth. Ladies Pleasure Class- Bernita Eberle, Limestone Club first, Jacqueline Boyles, Stockton Club, second, Neva Shoemaker, Limestone Club third, Lonnie Diehl, Northbranch Club fourth. Stock Horse Reining-Bernita Eberle, Limestone Club first, Gerald Boyles, Stockton Club second, Jacqueline Boyles, Stockton Club third, Bill Buster, Northbranch Club fourth. Ladies Flag Race- Neva Shoemaker, Limestone Club first, Hazel Korb, Northbranch Club second, Bernita Eberle, Limestone Club third, Jacqueline Boyles, Stockton Club fourth. Men’s Flag Race-Mervin Legg, Osborne Club first, Donald Diehl, Northbranch Club second, Eldon Pugh, Northbranch Club third, Bob Glouser, Limestone Club fourth.

In the Pair Race- Homer Grubbs and Donald Diehl, Northbranch Club first, Eldon Pugh and Lyle Jeffery, Northbranch Club second, Lyle Henderson and Pete Graham, Red Cloud Club third, Kermit Jeffery and Ardean Jeffery, Northbranch Club fourth. Relay Race-Donald Diehl, Eldon Pugh, Homer Grubbs, Lyle Jeffery, Northbranch Club first; Earl Shaw, Bud Arther, Everet Kendall, Milo Legg, Phillips Co. Club second; Delmar Shoemaker, Bob Glouser, Harold Shoemaker, Bill Eberle, Limestone Club third; Lyle Henderson, Pete Graham, Ed Minick, Ivan Henderson, Red Cloud Club fourth. Pony Express- Pete Graham, Red Cloud Club 1st, Milo Legg, Phillips Co. Club second, Eldon Pugh, Northbranch Club third, Delmar Shoemaker, Limestone Club fourth. Men’s Cloverleaf- Homer Grubbs, Northbranch Club first, Mervin Legg, Osborne Club second, Lyle Jeffery, Northbranch Club third, Bill Eberle, Limestone Club fourth. Ladies Cloverleaf-Hazel Korb, Northbranch Club first, Neva Shoemaker, Limestone Club second, Marjorie Brown, Beloit Club third, Jacqueline Boyles, Stockton Club fourth.

Winners in the Rescue Race-Harold Shoemaker and Delmar Shoemaker, Limestone Club first, Ivan Henderson and Pete Graham, Red Club Club second, Milo Legg, Everett Kendall, Phillips Co. Club, third, Bud Archer and Earl Shaw, Phillips Co. Club fourth. Lead Back Race-Harold Shoemaker, Limestone Club first, Delmar Shoemaker, Limestone Club second, Donald Diehl, Northbranch Club third, Earl Shaw, Phillips Co. Club, fourth. Saddlin’ Race-Eldon Pugh, Northbranch Club first, Everett Kendall, Phillips Co. Club second, Derald Decker, Northbranch Club third, Floyd Schwenn, Kensington Club fourth. The last event was the Musical Chair-Delmar Shoemaker, Limestone Club first, Homer Grubbs, Northbranch Club second, Donald Diehl, Northbranch Club third, Earl Shaw, Phillips Co. Club fourth.

The winning club was the host Northbranch Saddle Club with 67 points. Coming in second was the Limestone Saddle Club with 38 points. Tied for third place with 17 points each were the saddle clubs of Stockton and Phillips County. Because of the tie, the club with the most participating members in events at the show, Phillips County, received the third place trophy.