WILLCOX Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees
Billy Darnell (127)
1944 -
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2020 COWBOY HALL OF FAME
Billy Darnell was born in 1944. He was raised on his family’s ranches in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona and in the Animas Valley of New Mexico. His parents were Fred and Elizabeth Darnell and he had one older brother, Jimmy, who died at 6 years old. Being raised on a ranch Billy had his chores to do starting at a young age. There were chickens, dogs, and calves that needed his attention. Plus, he had some show calves that need to be groomed.
He attended grade school in Apache, Arizona. Even today, Billy is still quite proud of that one-room school house. It is still in operation today, with 6-18 kids attending each year.
He went to high school in Animas, New Mexico, where he played basketball and ran track. Billy said, “I was very fast for the first 60 yards of the race, except the race was 100 yards, and the real runners could catch me in the last 40 yards.” Billy continued his schooling at Cochise College where he studied anthropology. During college is when the rodeo bug really took hold. He didn’t go to a lot of college rodeos because he was already going to the amateur and pro rodeos. By the time he was a Sophomore he began to win. He won both go’s and the average in the Tucson rodeo and 3rd in Phoenix, and that put about $6,500 in his pocket. In 1963-64 that was a lot of money. Billy knew the time to rodeo was now so he left school and he never looked back.
Billy was a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys’ Association, qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo six times in the team roping. He attended the last Finals that were held in Los Angeles and the first Finals held in Oklahoma City.
Billy grew up in the midst of several rodeo champions. Joe Glenn won his first team roping championship in 1948, and who was heading for Joe when he won his championship, Fred Darnell, Billy’s dad.
Later in life, Billy got to travel and rodeo with Joe Glenn and he taught Billy a lot about winning. Joe taught Billy the importance of being prepared. You prepare in the practice pen and when you are ready then you go on the road. Billy said, “Joe was like a second father to me.”
Billy made it very clear that his dad was the reason he was successful in rodeo. My dad always put me on good horses. Billy said, “Dad was always looking for good horses. Dad made the good ones, one wet saddle blanket at a time.” In other words, they worked on the ranch before they worked in the arena. Yes, Billy rode good horses and he prepared well so if he could draw half way decent he could win.
For twelve years Billy was on the road. He did come home to tend cows, but was right back out there to make the next rodeo. Finally, at age 32, Billy told himself I need to go home. Billy’s professional rodeo career was over, but the team roping bug has remained for many years.
Billy worked 14 years for the Hildago County Sheriff’s Department, starting as a deputy and then serving three terms as the Sheriff. When he applied to become a deputy, the application asked him to list previous jobs. Billy didn’t know what to put down, as he had never had a paying job before. He did convince them to hire him when he said, “But, I know all of the outlaws.” Billy said it was rewarding work, working the crime, solving the burglary or working the drugs. He did say, “The toughest part was delivering a death message.” After his three terms he didn’t run for Sheriff again. He said, I gave up the badge, but I kept the gun.”
Since giving up the badge, Billy has been ranching full time. Today Billy has a herd of Black Baldy cows and registered Angus Bulls. His ranches are a combination of hill country, malpai rocks and flood ground and as Billy says, “It is good country when it rains.”
Billy said, “Ranching is not easy. You are dealing with Mother Nature and sometimes she can be unforgiving. You see things other people don’t see. But an early morning with God and Mother Nature is special.”
Billy Darnell is a quiet man that is honest and will help people. Regarding this award he said, “This is one of the nicest things to happen to me. I am thankful and humbled.
In 2007, Fred Darnell was inducted into the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame and Billy was here that night to accept the award on behalf of his dad. Now here we are tonight, some 13 years later, to honor Billy Darnell, as he joins his dad as a member of the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Billy Darnell