78S20403 KMP-D

By:  Eissler                                                      H.R. No. 193



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Lone Star State has lost a beloved figure with 
the death of legendary Texas cowgirl Connie Douglas Reeves, who 
died on August 17, 2003, at the age of 101, having continued to ride 
until the very end of her full and generous life; and
	WHEREAS, Mrs. Reeves, a native of Eagle Pass, was born in 1901 
to Ada Wallace Douglas and state district judge W. C. Douglas, and 
family legend has it that she was destined to lead the life of an 
equestrian from infancy; her mother, sensing a perfect Western 
photo opportunity, first placed Connie on horseback when she was 
still a baby, before she could even sit up by herself; as a toddler, 
Connie rode in the saddle seated in front of her mother, and she 
owned her first horse at the age of five, thanks to a generous gift 
from her grandfather, an avid horseman in his own right and a 
respected member of the English gentry; and
	WHEREAS, Having quickly mastered both the English and Western 
styles of riding, she spent a happy childhood in West Texas, later 
moving with her family to San Antonio; she graduated from the Alamo 
City's Main Avenue High School in 1919 and only three years later 
received her undergraduate degree from Texas Woman's University in 
Denton; and
	WHEREAS, Impressing both teachers and classmates alike with 
her intelligence and integrity, Mrs. Reeves then pursued her dream 
of becoming an attorney; she was one of the first women to graduate 
from The University of Texas School of Law and, by some accounts, 
would probably have been one of the youngest women lawyers in the 
United States had not the Great Depression forced her to take 
another career path; and
	WHEREAS, This new path led back to her old high school in San 
Antonio, where she taught classes and achieved another first, that 
of organizing the first pep squad in the state of Texas; she 
ultimately transferred to Thomas Jefferson High School, a campus 
opened in 1932, where she founded the famed Lassos drill team; and
	WHEREAS, While working in the classroom and on the practice 
field, she developed a profound appreciation of the power of 
education to change lives, especially the lives of young women; she 
also yearned to return to her childhood passion for equestrian 
sports, and melding this enthusiasm with her skills as an 
instructor, she took the courageous step of opening her own 
business, where she could teach San Antonio children how to care for 
and ride horses; and
	WHEREAS, In 1936, despite the success of her riding stable, 
she agreed to join the staff of Waldemar Camp for Girls as a riding 
instructor, and it was with this decision that she would begin her 
journey toward becoming the quintessential Texas cowgirl; over the 
course of the next 66 years, during which time she assumed 
leadership of the camp's entire riding program, she taught an 
estimated 30,000 Texas girls to ride, and she instilled in 
generations of women an appreciation for equestrianism and an 
enduring sense of self-confidence; and
	WHEREAS, The camp also brought her to the Texas Hill Country, 
where she would remain for the rest of her life; her love for the 
area's clear skies and wide-open vistas was shared by her husband of 
more than 40 years, Jack Reeves, with whom she worked a successful 
ranch near Junction and who is remembered in her memoir I Married a 
Cowboy; following his death and after her official retirement from 
the Waldemar riding school, Mrs. Reeves still taught riding on an 
informal basis, and she became the first woman in history to receive 
the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award, named after the founder of 
the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City; 
at the age of 100 she proudly rode in the parade marking the Fort 
Worth opening of the National Cowgirl Museum, where she is 
enshrined in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and she received the 
Freedom Forum's 2002 Free Spirit award; and
	WHEREAS, Her oft-repeated motto, "Always saddle your own 
horse," has become a maxim and guiding principle for independent, 
strong, and adventurous women everywhere; her popularity is 
international in scope, and tributes have poured in from newspapers 
around the globe, including those in Europe, Africa, and the South 
Pacific; and
	WHEREAS, Mrs. Reeves lived every day of her life in the spirit 
of the true Texas pioneer, blazing new trails for women and 
demonstrating determination and passion in the pursuit and 
attainment of her dreams; with her death, the Lone Star State has 
lost a unique and inspiring citizen, and it is a privilege to join 
with her family and friends in remembering the fascinating life of 
this renowned and much-loved cowgirl; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay special tribute to the 
life of Connie Douglas Reeves of Kerrville and extend deepest 
sympathy to her family, including her six nieces and six nephews, 
and to her many friends, former students, and admirers around the 
world; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas House 
of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Connie 
Douglas Reeves.