THE WAY IT WAS
In June, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum shared on social media a 1998 saddle won by Tex Williams—the first Black cowboy to compete at the Texas State High School Finals in 1967. Upon further inspection, the saddle reads, “Champion Team Roper.”
“I never thought I’d hear anything on it again,” Williams mused about the saddle he’d donated years ago. “Cass Ringlestein was giving a roping here in San Antonio [and] they had 600 and some teams …. We run our first steer together and we were the fastest time in that round [and] they gave us saddles for the fastest time.”
Williams, 71, grew up on the ranch where his dad worked in El Campo, Texas, but has lived in San Antonio since 1977, and actually has more of a roughie
