Page 100 - Speedhorse May 2019

Master Of The Horse
Master horseman Joe Welch has spent a
lifetime with Quarter Horses. His skilled eyes
and hands have developed some of the greatest, among them Wonderlad, Roan Man, Chicaro Sue, Chicado V, Senor Bill, Red Pepper Dee and,
more recently, the remarkable Tony B Deck.
by Ray Sanchez
There are some people who say training horses doesn’t make for a very glamorous life. They should meet “Tuffy” Joe Welch.
He has performed before the King and Queen of England, has hobnobbed with many celebrities and his son married the most glamourous star of our day, Raquel Welch. Not that you’d ever be able to tell Welch’s
sparkling background by talking to him. He’s a big, pleasant homebody who seems perfectly happy to be doing just what he’s doing – training horses. And he trains ‘em well. He’s one of the few men living who went through tortuous throat surgery and learned to talk near normal again. “Tuffy” Joe has the heart of a giant, claims one of his closest friends.
Joe Welch
Welch’s life started rather quietly. He was born on July 6, 1907, on a ranch in Eddy County, New Mexico. He punched cows until he was 16. But such a lively spirit couldn’t be content to stay home. He left at 16 to ride in rodeos. He was a natural. He began to win and in a couple of years he had won more than his share of prizes.
At age 18, he joined a wild west show, “The 101” as it was known then. He rode broncs and did trick riding such as vaulting the horse, standing on the horse’s shoulders and riding under its neck and belly. In 1934, there was
an international contest at Wembly, England. Some of the top rodeo hands in the world were invited to compete for the fabulous sum of $120,000. That kind of money is good even now. Then, it was a fortune.
Welch was among those invited. He didn’t waste any time packing his gear. The competi- tion was fierce. Great riders came from such places as Russia, South America, Mexico, Australia and, of course, England. The contest was held in White City Stadium in London. King George V and Queen Mary were among the throng of 105,000 who attended.
Welch performed superbly. He rode bareback, bulldogged, trick roped, perform- ing aboard both horses and bulls. He picked up $1,430, which was far from peanuts in that day and age. But the highlight of his journey was an introduction to the King and Queen in front of the royal box.
Two of the West’s most famous horsemen, Joe Welch and Elmer Hepler, were close friends since they were young boys.
98 SPEEDHORSE, May 2019
LOOKING BACK - AN EXCERPT FROM MARCH 1971 ISSUE