Sherry Combs Johnson (August 16, 1938 – August 2, 2023) was an American

ProRodeo Hall of Fame The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, pr ...

barrel racer Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur and ...

. In 1962, she won the World Barrel Racing Championship at the

National Finals Rodeo The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier rodeo event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The NFR showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money-winners in the season for each event. The NFR is held each year in the fi ...

(NFR) in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...

Life

Sherry Combs Johnson was born Sherry Price on August 16, 1938, in

Duncan, Oklahoma Duncan is a city and county seat of Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. Its population was 22,310 at the 2020 census. Its main claim to fame is as the birthplace of the Halliburton Corporation. Erle P. Halliburton established the New Meth ...

. Combs and her

sister, Florence Youree, grew up on their father's ranch near

Addington, Oklahoma Addington is a town in Jefferson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 114 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 2.6 percent from the figure of 117 in 2000. The town was founded in 1890.

. The sisters were the only children of rancher John Henry Price. Youree always said they worked on his ranch "as his boys". They had his love of horses and rodeo. Youree met Dale Youree as a teenager. Dale was a tie-down roper competing on the college circuit and the Rodeo Cowboy Association (later the

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States and Canada, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National ...

). They got married in 1950. The Yourees and Combs took off to rodeo full-time. Combs Johnson died from complications of

COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

on August 2, 2023.

Career

Combs Johnson was a five-time ARJA

barrel racing Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur and ...

champion. She was also a two-time ARJA all-around champion. When the first NFR was held in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, Combs was one of the flag carriers in the opening ceremony. In 1980, Combs Johnson competed in her first West of the Pecos Rodeo. She split the win with Shanna Bush, but a coin toss gave the victory to Bush. In 1996, she competed in that rodeo for the last time, winning the title and buckle cleanly. At that time the Johnsons considered the rodeo a hometown one as they ranched nearby in Sydney. Combs Johnson is considered an innovator in her work writing rulebooks. She also served as an officer in many organizations, including the AQRJA and the WPRA. In 1991, she ran the barrels one last time at the NFR in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

. In 1962, Combs Johnson secured the World Champion honors for barrel racing, with the help of her horse, “Red.” She also was a 12 time NFR qualifier from 1959 to 1991. Only

Charmayne James Charmayne James (born June 23, 1970) is an American former professional rodeo cowgirl who specialized in barrel racing. In her career, She won 11 Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) barrel racing world championships, the most in hi ...

holds more qualifications. Combs Johnson was a five-time junior barrel racing champion. Combs Johnson's horse

Star Plaudit Star Plaudit (1948–c. 1970) nicknamed Red was a rodeo stock horse who excelled in steer wrestling and barrel racing. He was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2015. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017. ...

, nicknamed "Red", was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017. In 1962, Red won two world championships and assisted in winning a third. One was in barrel racing and the other two were in steer wrestling. No other horse has accomplished this.

Honors

* 2023

* 2015

Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame in Fort Worth, Texas, dedicated to the sport of rodeo. History This hall of fame was founded by Johnny Boren. Also contributing to the foundation were a group of Belton, Texas, bu ...

* 2005

Rodeo Hall of Fame The Rodeo Hall of Fame was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1955. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of cowboys and cowgirls from around the world. The h ...

of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum * 1997 WPPR's Coca-Cola Woman of the Year. * 1997 WPRA's Woman of the Year in 1997.

References

Bibliography

External links

Sherry Johnson Interview for the Rodeo Historical Society Oral History Project

Women's Professional Rodeo Association

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association

National Finals Rodeo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Combs Johnson, Sherry 1938 births 2023 deaths 21st-century American women American barrel racers American female equestrians People from Duncan, Oklahoma Deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease