HIDALGO COUNTY SHERIFF’S POSSE
In 1956, 12 men from Hidalgo County, who were interested in the civic affairs of their community, met with the then Sheriff E.E. Vickers to discuss the possibility of organizing a Sheriff’s Posse similar to those organized and functioning throughout the State of Texas, and which were becoming popular all over the Country. The primary purpose of the Posse was origin
ally to assist the Sheriff in any emergency that may require a mounted group of men. In the early years of its establishment, the Posse was actually called upon about every two years to help with everything from searching the country side for a missing person to moving cattle out of severely flooded areas. As quoted in a 1986 South Texas AgriNews artilcle, “The Posse was also established to give horse-loving adults an organization in which to share their love of equestrian activities”. And it soon came to be one of the utmost youth-oriented organizations in the Valley. As Len Holder, past Captain of the Sheriff’s Posse, was quoted in that same article, “One of its primary goals is to provide a place for youth to go and compete with their horses in a wholesome atmosphere”. Today, the Sheriff’s Posse arena is the place Rio RoundUp is still held every Saturday and you’ll see kids and adults competing in barrel racing, pole bending and sometimes roping and goat tying. The Hidalgo County Team Penners Association holds team penning and ranch sorting events at the arena about every other Friday night with participants of all ages and skill levels. A couple Texas Youth Rodeos are held there every year as well as around 10 National Barrel Horse Association competitions. The Posse arena also is home to about 33 horses owned by our year around stall renters, there is Cowboy Church at the clubhouse every Sunday evening and the Cookshack keeps folks coming back time and time again for the best hamburgers in all of Texas. Over the years, the Posse has sponsored and presented not only the kinds of events and activities that many of us in this room enjoy participating in today, but also things like major horse shows, professional rodeos, big time bull buck-offs, turkey shoots, concerts by famous recording artists, youth rodeos and 4H and FFA events. All this started on 10 acres of land (on Wisconsin Rd between Business 281 and Sugar Rd) that, on February 18, 1959 was granted and conveyed to the Sheriff’s Posse by the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. This is the east side of our property where the arena and stalls set today. I might add that the proposed vision of the original Posse founders was so powerful and positive that the other surrounding cities of McAllen, Pharr, Mission and Hidalgo also offered land…but the founders chose Edinburg. On August 16, 1972, the Posse purchased the adjoining 10 acres to the west from Iona Mae Rackley Howard for $20,000. The 12 men who started the Posse (the Charter Members), and to whom we all owe a huge debt of gratitude, were: Sheriff E.E. Vickers, Al Martin, David Kier (keer), Doc Baker, Clarence Davis, Carl Schuster, Clyde Dunagan, Deputy Sheriff Tom Wingert, Deputy Sheriff Dick Gilliam (gilam), Harold Bannworth, W.A. Napper and Jim Parks. These 12 men formed the organization, established a vision, adopted a Constitution and By-Laws, and elected as its very first officers: Sheriff Vickers as permanent ex-official member of the Board of Directors and ex-official member of all committees; Dr. J.M. Baker as Captain; Mr. Al Martin as Co-Captain; and Mr. Tom Wingert as Secretary-Treasurer. We are blessed to have such a great place for all of us to play and compete and…share OUR love of equestrian activities. We are grateful for the incredibly visionary founders of the Posse and all the other organizations like RoundUp and Team Penners, among others. And we are determined to doing our part to keep this vision…this dream…alive and well for years to come. Especially for all the little folks.
