Rex Cauble
 Rex Cauble, 1967 | |
| Birth name | Rex Carmack Cauble |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Banking, ranching, construction, real estate |
| Discipline | NCHA cutting |
| Born | August 15, 1913 Vaughan, Texas |
| Died | June 23, 2003 Durant, Oklahoma |
| Resting place | Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park, Dallas, TX |
| Major wins/Championships | 1964 NCHA Non-Pro World Champion |
| Lifetime achievements | Honorary Texas Ranger 1978 American Medical Center Research Center Humanitarian Award, |
| Significant horses | |
| Cutter Bill | |
Rex Cauble (August 15, 1913—June 23, 2003) was born in Vaughan, Texas to cotton farmers, Lou Butts and Fred C. "Buddy" Cauble.[1] He was a self-made millionaire known for his flamboyance as a Texas-size businessman who struck it rich as a wildcatter.[2] In the 1970s, he founded two high-end retail western wear stores comprising Cutter Bill Western World named after Cauble's world champion cutting horse, Cutter Bill; one store was located in Houston, the other in Dallas.[3]
At age 67, Cauble became infamous when he was indicted under suspicion that he was bankrolling what was "reportedly the largest marijuana smuggling operation in Texas during the '70s."[3] A U.S. Attorney "labeled the dapper 67-year-old Denton, Texas, millionaire a 'general' in the 'Cowboy Mafia' of drug smugglers".[4] Members of the Cowboy Mafia were "caught in the seizure of a shrimp boat carrying 22 tons of high-grade Colombian marijuana to Port Arthur, Texas."[4] Many people who knew Cauble believed his ranch foreman Charles "Muscles" Foster had deceived Cauble and was the real leader of the smuggling operation.[3]
Cauble was indicted on a total of ten counts including three violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute (RICO), three violations of the Travel Act and four counts of misapplication of bank funds.[2][5] In 1982, the jury convicted him on all counts. The trial judge sentenced Cauble to serve concurrent five-year sentences for each count and ordered forfeiture of his share in Cauble Enterprises.[5][6] After serving five years, Cauble was released from prison based on a combination of time served and good conduct.[7] Cauble pleaded innocent to the charges[4] and maintained his innocence until the day he died.[7][8]
Early life[edit]
Rex Cauble grew up on his parents' cotton farm in Vaughan, Texas. As a young boy, he had his own horse but not one he bred and raised on his own; an aspiration that followed him into adulthood.[9] In the 1930s, Cauble worked as an oilfield roughneck and wildcatter which developed into a lucrative business that eventually made him a multimillionaire.
Rex married Josephine Hughes Sterling in 1952, and adopted her young son Lewis Rex Cauble.[2]
By the 1960s, Cauble owned several ranches where he stood the legendary Quarter Horse stallions Wimpy P-1, Silver King P-183, Hard Twist P-555[10] and Cutter Bill. It was during that time when Cauble first met Charles "Muscles" Foster, a professional rodeo cowboy but a very troubled man who Cauble took under his wing.
References[edit]
- ^ "The Dallas Morning News". Obituaries. June 25, 2003.
- ^ a b c "Rex & Josephine". D Magazine. January 1990. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c Lane, Chris (March 2, 2016). "A Glimpse Into the Wild Ride of Cutter Bill Western World Is a Texas Time Capsule". Houston Press. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c Wormser, Deborah A. (January 9, 1982). "'Cowboy Mafia' Trial Starts Jan. 11: Drug Charges Could Topple Texas Dynasty". United Press International, Inc. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- ^ a b "United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Rex C. Cauble, Individually and Doing Business As Caubleenterprises, Defendant-appellant, 706 F.2d 1322 (5th Cir. 1983)". Justia. May 31, 1983. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- ^ "Texas Millionaire Sentenced". New York Times. February 25, 1982. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- ^ a b "Convicted Cowboy Mafia Member Dead At 89". Hearst Newspapers. June 24, 2003. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- ^ Etter, Jim (July 1, 2003). "Controversial Oil Millionaire Praised After Death By Friends". NewsOk.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ "Horse Breeding: The Pedigree and Performance of Cutter Bill: This world champion cutting horse became the trademark of an empire". America's Horse. American Quarter Horse Association. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ "Horseback Riding Through History: Royal Cutter". America's Horse. American Quarter Horse Association. January 12, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2017.