Although we did not call ourselves the Desperados until later, a group of good friends and family began riding the Trail Ride in the late 1960s. The ‘Desperados’, as a group using that name, weren’t formed until 1982. The name selection process took awhile and finally, on a weekend ride sponsored by KIKK, Dennis Frost came up with the idea of calling ourselves the Desperados. Before that, various names had been discussed such as the Armadildos (not a typo), the Longhorn Livestock Limited, the Longhorn Cattle Company, and others. The name Desperados was selected unanimously the day it was suggested (which is a good thing with the number of Cougars we have as members).
It all started in February, 1967. Welcome Wilson, Sr. was watching the TV news and saw Pat Flarity, the local anchor on channel 2, broadcasting from the Salt Grass Trail Ride. The Ride had been started about 15 years earlier, and had become huge with over 2,000 riders. On a whim, Welcome, Sr. called his brother Jack and suggested that they drive out that evening and join the trail ride. They both grabbed their kids, an old jeep and headed out to the Trail Ride. A more detailed description of that first ride is attached.
The next year, 1968, the brothers showed up with more kids, the same jeep, and a Dodge motor home. Motor homes had just been invented the year before, and Dodge had this product that looked great but few things on it actually worked. Most of the other riders on the Trail Ride were outraged, because at that time part of the code was to be ‘roughing it’ on the trail ride, which usually meant sleeping in the back of a pick-up. Part of the traditional experience was basically that riders were supposed to be uncomfortable or too drunk to care. The Wilson brothers and their group were razzed and taunted as “candy-asses” and other derogatory terms because of this breaking with tradition. Regardless, the following year there were about 7 or 8 motor homes, the next year 25, and now it is by far the preferred means for any rider of “roughin’ it.”
That year, the Wilson group rode with a wagon owned by a man named Jim Burroughs. The Trail Ride was huge at this time, and, on the weekend particularly, was made up of mostly local teenagers who weren’t even connected with a particular wagon, but just rode along side the other riders. The teenagers would ride up and down from the front of the Ride to the back carrying Boones Farm wine and, with their own version of hospitality, insist that other riders have a drink every time they passed by. Over time, the Trail Ride leaders cracked down on this behavior, and now no rider may participate in the Ride who does not belong to a particular wagon, except the first Saturday’s circle ride.
The Wilson family group rode with the Jim Burroughs Wagon for several years, at which time he announced that he was going to retire from the Trail Ride. He graciously made arrangements for the Wilson family group to join another wagon owned by J.T. Atkinson, who, like Mr. Burroughs, was from Spring, Texas. From the beginning the wagons were numbered, and the Burroughs Wagon had steadily moved up to Wagon No. 11, but, in joining Mr. Atkinson, the Wilson family group dropped back to Wagon No. 18. J.T. Atkinson was in his late 30’s and was a Houston firefighter. Atkinson had a collection of friends that already road with his wagon including a wonderful guy named Frank Cortez who was an executive with Continental Airlines, and would become one of the founding members of the Desperados.
One year in the early 70’s, the Trail Ride was moving along the highway, still a couple of days outside of Houston, when Beverly Bennett (later Beverly Smith) and Margret Jo Johnson appeared on the side of the road, both relatives of the Wilson family. They wanted to ride along with the group and were quickly hooked. Since that time, the two have ridden every year since.
In those first years, the Wilson group (not yet named the Desperados) would ride not only the Salt Grass Trail Ride but three or four other weekend rides a year, including the KIKK Ride, the Bandera Trail Ride and others. This core group of likeminded people included the Jack Wilson Family, the Welcome Sr Family, Beverly Bennett, Margaret Jo Byron, Dixie Christian, Linda and Keith Monroe, Frank Cortez and his then wife Jane, Willie Fletnge, and Dennis Frost. Not only would they ride frequent trail rides, but would meet at country and western clubs after work and have a drink and a dance. This was the beginning of the “Urban Cowboy” era in the late-70’s and a very popular club was The Cowboy, located at West Alabama and Rice in Houston.
In short order after joining the Atkinson wagon, this core group of riders decided it was a good idea to start organizing the J.T. Atkinson Wagon. Atkinson was a big Longhorn fan, and had the sign of the longhorns on the side of the wagon. Although many in the group were not fans of the University of Texas, they begrudgingly agreed to call themselves “the Longhorns” for a time. Finally, when Welcome Wilson, Jr. and Willie Fletnge could take it no more, they organized a motion to change the wagon name to “the Longhorn Livestock Limited,” to get away from the UT connection. After a big campaign and debate among the members, “Longhorn Livestock Limited” was voted as the new name for the Atkinson Wagon but only by a 1-vote margin. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the half of the group who voted against the new name absolutely refused to use it. Not surprisingly, it was never widely used. Maybe for this reason or possibly others, a schism began to develop in the Atkinson wagon between the Wilson family group and the original J.T. Atkinson participants. Yet another major reason for the division was that the Atkinson riders were all young and single, and the Wilson group included those with children. An obvious conflict existed in terms of how the two groups chose to enjoy the Salt Grass Trail Ride.
It eventually boiled over. The year of the 1981 Trail Ride, J.T. Atkinson called the night before it was to begin, and said that one of his two mules had come up lame. He told Welcome, Sr. that he was not going to take the wagon on the trail ride or the cooks, and, therefore, he was canceling the entire ride for the Longhorn Livestock Limited, Wagon No. 18. Welcome, Sr. immediately called Frank Cortez, and told him that Atkinson’s ploy, or temper tantrum, was unacceptable. Too many people had made plans and rented motor homes. They had to find a way to make it work and get Wagon No. 18 to the Trail Ride. Frank then called Atkinson. He told him, flatly, that while Atkinson could stay home if he wanted, he was going to get up, come out to the ride, and get the wagon and one mule hooked up, so the rest of the wagon group could ride that year. Thus, Frank Cortez became the de facto mule skinner, and the Trail Ride, as it always does, went on that year as planned. Well, almost.
The straw that broke the Atkinson wagon group’s back occurred at Memorial Park that same year. Wagon 18 had pulled in to the Park about mid-afternoon, and the Wilson’s were all in one of the motor homes when some guests showed up to visit. Everyone was sitting in the front part of Welcome, Sr.’s motor home, which was all glass, talking with their guests, when it happened.
Earlier that day, Atkinson had brought the ‘cook shack’ up and parked it next to the motor home. In those days, it was far more ‘shack’ than ‘cook.’ At that time, it was not the professional trailer it is today, but was basically a converted hotdog stand like those used at county fairs. It was also all glass at the front-end with the back-end containing the kitchen.
As the Wilson group and their guests were sitting in the motor home, casually discussing that year’s ride, Welcome, Sr. saw Atkinson and a group of his friends standing in the cook shack laughing. They were easily visible through the glass of the cook shack. But then he noticed that there was a woman sprawled out on the front counter inside the cook shack in front of the glass that was having sex with the cook!?!? Atkinson and five or six of his friends were standing around laughing and watching. Welcome, Sr. quickly pulled down the shade of the motor home window, and excused himself from the group. He stormed over to the cook shack. He walked in shouting, pulled the cook off the top of the woman, and, in no uncertain terms, expressed his outrage for such a thing occurring on a ride with women and children present. The cook immediately quit and the group broke up. And, in turn, the whole wagon group broke up.
It was at that moment that the Wilson family group decided they really needed to create their own separate wagon group, with its own members and its own wagon. They quit the Atkinson wagon that year.
For years, the Atkinson wagon group was book-ended by the old Humble Road Rough Riders in back and the Texas City Wagon in front. The Texas City Wagon was not well populated. It was owned by a tall skinny farmer-type from Texas City, whose only trail ride customer was a doctor who let his daughter ride every year bringing her various teenage friends. About the time of the Memorial park incident, the Texas City Wagon Boss died, so the Wilson group, led by Beverly Bennett, approached his widow and convinced her to lease the Texas City Wagon and team to them for $500 per year. The widow, as wagon owner, would continue as wagon boss as required under the Trail Ride rules at that time. So, in 1982, ‘PA’ Bennett, Beverly’s father-in-law became the mule skinner and wagon boss. The group then became Wagon No. 17. It was at this time that the decision was made to change the name of the Wagon, and permanently put the Atkinson connection behind it. And as you know already, the ‘Desperados’ were officially born.
When the name was changed to the Desperados in 1982, it was Beverly Bennett (now Beverly Smith) who came up with the idea of everyone wearing matching denim jackets, much as some other wagons on the Trail Ride wore matching shirts or vests.
Pam Wilson Francis, who is a photographer and graphic designer, designed the logo (‘Desperados Wanted’). In the first year or so, it was somewhat difficult to get people to wear their Desperado jackets, and when the idea of wearing the same colored shirt each day was introduced there was even more resistance. When someone suggested at one point that the Desperados also wear identical colored hats each day, Missa Clann made the comment that “If we dressed any more alike they would think we were a bunch of queers.” The idea was quickly dropped. But the seed had been planted, and the coordinating jackets and shirts quickly became the signature of the Desperado trail ride group, although now every major wagon is similarly adorned.
On year later, 1983, Jack Wilson and Joe Bennett wrote the words to the now famous and often sung Desperado song. Opening to rave reviews we continue even today with the catchy lyrics. Unlike many of the other Desperado innovations, the song remains unique, and has never been successfully duplicated.
Back to the lease of the Texas City Wagon, the Desperados finally had their own wagon in 1982 and also had their own wagon group with control over the caliber of members who would ride with it. By that time, Joe and Peggy Bennett had become a big part of the group. So the Desperados quickly organized the duties of running their own wagon. Jack Wilson, for example, was put in charge of food for the Ride. But there was no longer a cook shack, as Atkinson had left with that, so in true Desperado fashion, he hired a caterer out of Houston. The caterer would drive out to the Wagon each morning during the Ride, set up shop, cook breakfast, and leave fried chicken, sandwiches or whatever else for lunch. He would then return at 6 p.m. each night to fix dinner for the group, clean up and leave. The Desperados kept this arrangement for several years.
But in 1986, Joe Bennett proposed that the Desperados buy their own cook shack and cook their own meals throughout the ride. Welcome, Sr. was strongly opposed to the idea, but Joe Bennett made a passionate plea that a cook shack would bring everyone together, serve as a focal point at the camp site, increase interaction among the Desperados. Also, the food would be better and cheaper, and, more importantly, it would all be a lot of fun. Welcome, Sr. eventually consented, and, as we all know, the Desperado cook shack did just what it was intended to do.
The cook shack was bought by Beverly Bennett and put in service by Joe Bennett in 1987. It served the Desperado’s faithfully for 20 years. It actually became a central element of the Desperados wagon group and an overall huge success. But in 2007, a new cook shack was purchased (this time by Beverly and her husband, Gary Smith), fitted and put into service (again by Joe Bennett but with the help of countless others), with professional cooking space for the group.
For the wagon itself, in 1982 the widow agreed to sell the Texas City wagon to Beverly Smith. So ‘PA’ Bennett became the Wagon Boss and Dennis Frost became the Assistant Wagon Boss. A year later, Joe Bennett became the Assistant Wagon Boss. Pa and Joe Bennett continued in these roles until 1986, when PA Bennett decided to step down. Thus, in 1987, Beverly Smith assumed the responsibilities of Wagon Boss and Joe Bennett continued as Assistant Wagon Boss (boht have held their positions to this day).
One thing to note before this history of the Desperados can be complete, which is just as integral part of the Desperado image as the jackets or shirts, began about the time the Desperados took over the Texas City Wagon. Beverly Bennett organized a group of her girlfriends to ride the Trail Ride with the Desperados one year. Each was beautiful and, along with the beautiful ladies already members of the group, caused the Desperados to get a reputation which prevails today -- the Desperados have the prettiest women on the trail ride, always have, always will. The following year the same girlfriends were back, but one of their husbands, who had too little to do (his job was to manage his rich wife’s estate), decided that he would do some investigating. He came out to the Trail Ride secretly, and followed the riders taking photos with a telescopic lens. A big fight developed with the husbands of the women and the Desperado members, and, unfortunately, many of the women dropped out the following year.
Desperados have been responsible for many firsts on the Salt Grass Trail Ride. In addition to the use of RV’s, which is commonplace now, used to be strictly taboo. Desperados were also one of the first wagons to use camp movers, and we remain the only wagon whose own members serve as camp movers. Other wagons use hired hands.
Such innovations have been rewarded, and the Desperados are, by far, the most decorated wagon on the Salt Grass Trail Ride. Desperados have been awarded Best Appearing Wagon Group in the HLSR Parade an unprecedented nine times, have been awarded Best Show Wagon in the Parade three times, as well. Further, Desperados have been voted Best Wagon on the Salt Grass Trail Ride three times, and were awarded second place for this award one other time. For a time, we also held the record for the oldest rider on the Salt Grass, at 79, Archie “PA”Bennett, Sr.
Desperados are also one of the most media-covered wagons on Salt Grass. Desperados have appeared on David Letterman and on every local news channel. Channel Two had a correspondent, David Walker, ride the entire week with the Desperados one year. In the mid-1980’s, Channel 2’s Katherine Blissard (Katherine at Noon) had the actor Dabney Coleman flown out by helicopter to the ride and he spent a day with the Desperados and interviewed several members. In 2005, Desperados were the only wagon who were assigned a full-time photographer from the Houston Chronicle to document the Salt Grass experience (he returned the next year to become a member). As recently as 2006, the Desperado Wagon was covered by journalists from as far away as France.
The group has hosted riders from as far away as Saudi Arabia and Singapore, and, within the United States, from Maryland and Connecticut.
Many of the current riders have served as Presidents over the years, including Gary Smith, Peggy Bennett, Ryan Wasaff, Ross Zuerner, and Joe Bennett. Other Presidents were Frank Cortez, Dennis Frost, Joanne (Wilson) Castleberry, Rene (Bennett) Flood, Connie Fletnge, Harry Caldwell, and Joan (Pinson) Caldwell.
DESPERADO’S ARE BORN
This Essay gives details of the first trail ride by the folks who became the core of the Desperado Wagon Group (as told by Welcome Wilson, Sr.)
In February of 1967, I decided that the Wilson Family needed to ride the Salt Grass Trail Ride. I called my brother Jack at 6pm and announced my plan to leave that night. My brother Jack was always ready for a weird idea, so he gathered up his daughter Kathy, I got up my daughter Cindi and we got into an old drugstore jeep delivery wagon that I owned, and we loaded up two saddles and went out to the tri oak stables where I kept a single paint horse for my kids. It was on Westheimer near the Beltway. I made arrangements by calling the manager of the stables to borrow a horse from him. My horses name was Lucy, it was actually Welcome Jr.’s horse as I recall, later Pam’s.
The horse Pepper was lent to us by the owner of the stables so we borrowed a horse trailer, and hooked it on the Jeep and in the backseat of the jeep was Jack’s daughter and my daughter, two saddles, cooking utensils, etc. and in the front was Jack and myself.
I remember vaguely that the trail ride was camping in Hempstead that night so we drove to Hempstead and began to stop at service stations asking where the trail ride was. We were directed to the Hempstead County Park where the trail ride was located. It was after 10 p.m. when we got there so things were relatively quiet we could not tell where the front-end or the backend was so we pulled up under a tree and got out and set up camp. The next morning we were surprised to see that we were in the very center of a very large circle with a diameter of about 200 yards, where the various wagons had camped around us. My brother Jack fixed breakfast for everyone. About that time I decided that I better get on Pepper, the borrowed horse to see if it was suitable for our younger kids to ride. Cindi and Kathy would have been about 13 years old.
So I saddled up Pepper and put on Peppers bridle and began to ride toward the wagons. Pepper was very nervous because a stable horse being around a thousand other horses is an exciting event. Pepper and I did fine, riding away from the camp and then when we got about 200 yards away I turned to ride back toward the camp fire at which time Pepper jumped an took off running back to the camp because he recognized the horse he came in with, and that is what horses do; they run back to camp. Not to worry I was an experienced horseman so I pulled back on the rains to slow him down and the bridal came off in my hands. Now I am on top of a horse riding at full speed, no bridal, no control what so ever. In what seemed like 15 minutes, but I am sure was no more than 30 seconds Pepper and I sailed across the park land going directly towards the very large oak tree under which we camped. As the tree approached I decided that the only way to keep myself from being impaled on a low hanging branch was for me to simply ease off to the side and roll on the ground like they do in cowboy movies. At about 50 feet from the tree I pushed myself off to the right and hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. I skidded 50 feet, right into the middle of the camp fire.
In the process I got a bruise on my hip that lasted 2 years and also in the process I got slightly burned by logs before I could get out of the fire. I did not roll once; all I did was hit the ground and slide. So now I am limping in addition to everything else and about that time Stewart Morris the Chairman of the Board of Stewart Title Company in Houston drove by with his daughter Lisa in a pickup truck with a camper on the back he rolled down his window and asked what I was doing and if I was lost. I told him that we just arrived and did not know what to do and he said come join the wagon that I am on it is run by Jim Burrough from Spring, TX. So we went over to Wagon 13 operated by Jim Burrough and he introduced us and he explained that he would furnish the food for everyone for the 5 remaining days, the feed for the horses and the man Huskey would feed the horses for us but the cost for the 5 days for food and everything would be $35. So, we decided that was a bargain and paid up and joined the Spring wagon run by Mr. Jim Burrough, Wagon Boss. The group on the wagon was a mixed bag. We had Ronald who was a truck driver. We had a young articulate guy named Gary who was raised in very poor circumstances but obviously a very intelligent kid although he was profane. He was about 19. Then we had about 3 drunks and some very quiet forming couple from El Campo and one or two others. So we got the wagon started, I borrowed a bridal for Pepper. Cindi and I road for an hour and then Jack would come up and he and Cathy would get on the horses and Cindi and I would ride in the truck. We alternated all day long until we got to town and went through the parade and ended the ride thinking it had been a big success.