Boots O'Neal Legendary JA and 6666's Ranch Cowboy & Special Ranger - Part 7 - DPS Ranger

In this episode Boots talks about some of the Rangers he has worked with and what has changed with the TSCRA. The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association special Texas Rangers is very unique and important law enforcement branch. Many people know Boots O'Neal as a legendary Cowboy but many folks do not know he served as a special Ranger for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association with a special Texas Ranger Commission. Boots O'Neal Legendary JA Ranch and 6666's Ranch Cowboy & TSCRA Field and Brand Inspector and Special Ranger. This is Part 4, DPS Special Ranger Training and Special Ranger Leaders. Boots was born in 1932 in Clarendon, Texas. He started breaking horses for small ranches in 1947. As a young boy he worked for the RO Ranch. Along with his brother Wes O’Neal. They broke 20 broncs for $20.00 a head. Then he moved on to the JA Ranch where he stayed at the chuck wagon and lived in a teepee. He also has worked on the Matador Ranch and the Waggoner Ranch. From 1953 to 1955 Boots served in the United States Army. Assigned to the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea on the 38th Parallel. He was trained as a demolition expert. His time in the army was by far the longest time he ever went without riding a horse. In the 1960s Boots went to work as a Field Inspector and special Ranger for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raiser’s Association. His title was TSCRA - Brand Inspector with special Texas Ranger Commission. In January of 2022 Scott Williamson, the director of law enforcement for the TSCRA special Rangers, Boots O'Neal, Bob Terry, Johnie Terry and Red Steagall were all in the big house on the four sixes ranch. Samuel Burk Burnett had this amazing house built in 1917. Some very well known people have stayed in the house among them have been Theodore Roosevelt and Will Rogers. The house has been filled with amazing artifacts. In the main room, alone there have been hunting trophies, exquisite art and personal items given to Burk Burnett by his friend Quanah Parker and the Comanche chief’s wives. Red had put Scott in contact with Bob several months before. Scott had spoken with Bob about his desire to record Boots telling of his training and escapades with the TSCRA in the 1960's. This resulted in a 7 part documentary on this portion of Boots life, that most other interviews only touch on briefly. Boots has worked on the four sixes ranch for over 30 years and has been awarded the All Around Cowboy award at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma in the all-state ranch rodeo in 1985, the Working Ranch Cowboy award during the Texas Cowboy Reunion held in Stamford, Texas in 2004, the Trailblazer award at the Texas Ranch Roundup held in Wichita Falls, Texas in 2005, the Point Man award from the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Waurika, Oklahoma in 2010, the Chester A. Reynolds award at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2013 and was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2023. Boots is still working horseback on the 6666's Ranch and will turn 91 September 14, 2023.

[@KNT.63]

A Special Breed of man , I bet anyone that knows him would say. You would be lucky to set on the porch at night listen to his memories .

[@KNT.63]

This could be one of my uncles talking to my Grd paw in KY,( it's not) There all waiting in Heaven. .I like hearing him tell these times in his life, so interesting sounds like such a good honest and true man probably did what he thought was right the best he could. This is the kind of stuff that may be wrote down should be if it's not it's part of this country's history a small part more on the western side what's similar to the stories my uncles & Grandpa told, building the railroads the war tending to cows hay, tobacco Barns and tractors smoking meat even grnd maw picking berries, churning butter, oh how I miss those tales and the people that told them. Thank you .