WILLCOX Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees
Matt Martin (133)
1957 -
2023 COWBOY HALL OF FAME
Matt was born May 24, 1957 in Phoenix, AZ, to Don and Glenda Martin. He had two sisters, Becky and Jennifer, and one brother, Scott. Even though he was born in Phoenix, most of his schooling was at Canyon Del Oro in Tucson, AZ. Matt was not particularly gifted in high school athletics but did find success in the rodeo arena. Matt said, "He could get partners at a roping much easier than getting picked to play basketball."
Matt said, "My dad would take any of us kids to the junior rodeos that wanted to go." Matt roped in the junior rodeos, the college rodeos and a few jackpots, but he said, "I found I could make more money by staying home and working."
Matt did not have a huge team roping career, but he instantly remembered that he and his dad won the Cow Punchers team roping two different times. Once in 1987 and the second time in 2006. He said, "It was pretty special winning with dad."
Matt dated his high school sweetheart for 6.5 years. In 1981, Matt married Janine Foard, and they have two daughters, MacKenzie and Roxanne.
In 1985, Matt came to Willcox, actually to Bonita, to run the Broken Dipper Ranch which was the old Press and Sabina Larson place. It is a ranch full of rocks and grass. It is a good ranch, but it is a cowboy"s ranch. There are huge ridges that drop off into deep rough canyons. And remember the ranch is covered in rocks. It looks like the Good Lord dropped a gigantic bag of billiard balls all over those massive ridges. Never the less, Matt enjoyed working side by side with his dad and his brother. Everyone knew their job.
I want to stay on this family thing for a bit longer. Matt was taught by his dad and now Matt is and has been for a while, teaching his two daughters. And even that is growing, as he is beginning to tell the stories of ranching to his grandkids as well.
His kids are growing up knowing this is a family thing. This is what a legacy is made of.
Matt said on being a cowboy, "This is the only thing I know how to do. There were lots of fun parts and a few parts not so fun." I asked him about the not so fun parts. He thought a moment and said, "Oh maybe having to pull a windmill in a snowstorm." But Matt quickly said, "The cowpunching part is not bad."
There is no doubt Matt loves to be a rancher. He loves doing what he is doing. He is a good cowboy and he just does not stop until the work is done.
Matt Martin is not flashy and is not a big one for going to meetings. He is calm, cool and collected. He has the ability to lighten the mood especially if he is riding in Pine Canyon with the Forest Service and some wildlife biologists. You know how sometimes these rides can be a little tense. The biologist commented on how Pine Canyon would be a great habitat for the spotted owl. To a rancher that makes the hair on the back of their neck stand straight up. But here is Matt riding along answering questions calm, cool and collected. The wildlife biologist asked if he had any mountain lion problems. Matt said, "No, but we did have some wolf problems, but we just took care of them ourselves." The biologist´s head snapped around and said, "What?" Matt just laughed and said, "Just kidding, but I thought we needed to lighten the mood a little bit."
You know, when we try to compare professions; for the cowboy being in the saddle is like being in the office for others. On this day Matt"s office was horseback on a rocky ridge dropping off into Pine Canyon and for Matt that is part of living the dream. There are no office walls in your 10 x 10 cubicle. Your office is all of the outdoors.
Matt gives back to his community, as he served on the Bonita school board for 11 years. The Martins hosted the Bonita school "cowboy days" at the ranch while their kids were in school. Now, the grandkids are in school and once again the Martins are hosting the entire Bonita school for "cowboy days".
Matt Martin checks all the important boxes in life. He was a good son, he is a good husband, a good dad and now a good granddad.
Matt Martin is living the dream. Tonight, Matt is being honored by his peers to be inducted into the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame. Ya know what? He has earned it.
Matt Martin