06/12/2022
Baxter Black passed away yesterday, June 10 at 4 am. Born in New Mexico, Baxter became a large animal veterinarian, obtaining his doctorate at Colorado State University. “I wanted to go to vet school so I could be in the cow business, and I wound up becoming a poet, which is ok too.”
And entertaining he was – creating videos and columns to last for years. His subject was often himself, recalling stories of events that country folk could relate to and laugh about. He never had a shortage of them to share as he traveled across the country speaking at FFA conventions and groups from all walks of life. He produced a weekly column as well as a radio program and show on RFDTV. More recently, Baxter was working on producing audio books from the several that he had written. They provided hours of entertainment for me as I crisscrossed the nation covering rodeos.
I had the privilege of featuring Baxter in the Fence Post, tagging along while he filmed “Rocky Mountain Oysters” near Hudson, Colorado. He used friends and acquaintances as the actors and producers, and after a day of filming, treated the cast and crew to a steak dinner at his home. That was the beginning of a 40-year relationship with a man that was as genuine and real as they come.
Baxter made his mark in the world with his humor, humility, and honest assessment of life – may his legacy last a long time.
