Martha Josey

Martha Josey (born Martha Lavaughn Arthur in Gregg County, Texas, on March 11, 1938, daughter of Robert Jonas Arthur, Sr. and the former Martha James) is an American professional rodeo cowgirl who specializes in barrel racing. She has been in active rodeo competition since 1964. She won the Girls Rodeo Association (GRA) barrel racing world championship in 1980 and was the last barrel racer to win a world championship under the organization's former name before it was renamed the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) in 1981. She has earned numerous other titles at competitions such as the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and events sanctioned by the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) and WPRA. She also competed in barrel racing as an exhibition event during the 1988 Calgary Olympics, and is the founder and co-owner of the Josey Ranch Barrel Racing Clinic.

Early years Josey is originally from the Kilgore/Marshall, Texas area. Her love for horses was instilled by her father, who was one of the first directors for the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), and she began riding on a pony at a very early age. R.E. Josey died on February 24, 2022.

Career Her first barrel horse, CeBe Reed, took her to 52 consecutive wins, and the awards she was given included seven horse trailers. Josey and CeBe competed in the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 1968 and 1969, winning $3,421 in prize money in 1969.

With the horse Jetonfer Pay, Josey won the Pro Tour Circuit in 1985, went to the NFR again, and was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. In addition, Orange Smash received 1999 AQHA "Best of America's Horse Award" and was created as a model horse by Peter Stone.

In 2000, she entered her fifth decade of competition with the horse, Joe B Jammin, and in that year ran the fastest time at the Lone Star Finals. They went on to be the Go Round Winner at the 2001 Copenhagen Cup Finale in Dallas, Texas. In 2002, she placed first and second in the NBHA Holiday Classic in Jackson, Mississippi, riding Joe B. Jammin and Sweet Sailin' Six, and 2003 ended with a championship in the Equus America competition in Houston, Texas, as well as a reserve championship in the AQHA World rodeo event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As of 2009, Josey was still competing in barrel racing.

Business enterprises Presently, Martha Josey resides in Karnack, Texas, where she owns the Josey Ranch. She trains and markets barrel-racing and roping horses. Both R.E. and Martha have also had television appearances on ESPN, RFD-TV, and other networks. In addition, the Joseys have had a substantial number of product endorsements, many of which Josey sells at the Josey Western Store and online mail-order shop, headquartered from their ranch.

Books authored World Champion Martha Josey's Running to Win: How to Win at Barrel Racing Both Inside and Out (Paperback - Jul 1985) Fundamentals of Barrel Racing (Paperback - Jan 1, 1977) Riding the Gymkhana Winner (Farmam Horse Library Series) (Paperback - Nov 1972)

Honors 1985 National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame 2002 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame with her husband, R.E. Josey 2007 Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame with her husband 2011 Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 2020 ProRodeo Hall of Fame