About Speakers

Buster recently joined the Visit Fort Worth team as Assistant Trail Boss with the Fort Worth Herd, where he assists with the daily operations that keep the legendary cattle drive running smoothly. With more than 25 years of ranching and cowboying experience, Buster brings deep expertise and passion for preserving authentic Western heritage.

Based in Weatherford, Texas, Buster also manages his own cattle and horse operation and has spent years working in the film industry as a SAG stuntman, wrangler, and assistant livestock coordinator on productions including Yellowstone, 1883, Bass Reeves, 1923 (Seasons 1 & 2), Legrand, Florida Wild, and Righteous Gemstones.

Before joining the Herd, he managed Veale Ranch in Aledo for 15 years, overseeing an 8,000-acre property and a 300-head cow/calf-yearling operation.

Boots O’Neal, born in 1932 in Clarendon, Texas, started breaking horses for small ranches in 1947. He has spent more than 75 years in the saddle working for some of the largest ranches in West Texas.

Boots was initiated into cowboying when he went to work as a young boy for the RO Ranch. He and his brother, Wes O’Neal, broke 20 broncs for $20 a head. From there, he went to the JA Ranch where he stayed at the chuck wagon and lived in a teepee. He also spent time working at the Matador Ranch and the Waggoner Ranch.

From 1953 to 1955, Boots served in the United States Army. He worked in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea on the 38th Parallel. He was trained as a demolition expert. He says this was the longest time he ever went without riding a horse.

After he was discharged, Boots went to work as a Field Inspector for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raiser’s Association. However, the lure of the cowboy life beckoned him back to the Waggoner Ranch in Vernon, Texas. He stayed there for almost 20 years and was eventually promoted to foreman of cattle operations.

Boots is currently employed by the Four Sixes Ranch at Guthrie, Texas. He has been involved in all phases of their cattle work for more than 30 years. He also holds a Texas Peace Officer’s Commission and in the past, has assisted with the security of the ranch.

Boots has received the “All Around Cowboy” award at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma in an all-state ranch rodeo in 1985, the “Working Ranch Cowboy” award during the Texas Cowboy Reunion held in Stamford, Texas in 2004, the “Trailblazer” award during the Texas Rach Roundup held in Wichita Falls, Texas in 2005, the “Point Man” award from the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Waurika, Oklahoma in 2010, and the “Chester A. Reynolds” award at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2013.

For three-quarters of a century, Boots has looked over the backs of many herds of cattle, and he has experienced and observed more changes in the way of how cattle are worked and handled than almost any other person in the business. Boots says that a lot of the change has been for the better, but every now and then it’s good to sit down and reminisce about the old days when a bunch of boys, horses, and cattle gathered around the wagon.

A fifth-generation rancher and cowboy, Tom Moorhouse has dedicated his life to the land and livestock of West Texas. His long-standing commitment to stewardship, horsemanship, and traditional cowboy values makes him a fitting recipient of this prestigious award. Moorhouse’s career spans decades of work on historic ranches, including the famed Moorhouse Ranch, where he has played an instrumental role in preserving ranching practices that have shaped the region’s cultural and economic legacy.

“Because of Tom’s dedication and skill in his trade, he has unintentionally done more than almost anyone to preserve the ‘working cowboy’ way of life,” said John Welch, vice president of the Ranching Heritage Association and retired CEO of Spade Ranches. “He was pure cowboy when ‘cowboy’ wasn’t cool. Who has done more to preserve the working cowboy way of life than Tom Moorhouse just by living it?”
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From a young age, Moorhouse was immersed in the cowboy lifestyle, developing exceptional skills in horsemanship and cattle management. His dedication to the craft led him to work on several prominent Texas ranches, including the Tongue River Ranch and the 6666 Ranch.

 Moorhouse's expertise in training and handling horses has earned him numerous accolades, notably being named All-Around Cowboy twice at the Texas Ranch Roundup in Wichita Falls, Texas. In 2005, Moorhouse was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, a testament to his significant contributions to the ranching industry.
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Beyond his personal achievements, Moorhouse has played a pivotal role in preserving and advancing ranching practices. Alongside his family, he continues to operate the Moorhouse Ranch Company, maintaining cow/calf, farming, and stocker operations across West and Central Texas. His dedication to the land and livestock, coupled with his willingness to embrace progressive techniques, underscores his status as a respected leader in the ranching community.