OklahomaHorses Magazine January 2022

January/February 2022 • OklahomaHorses 13 Glenn Jackson F rom a long line of legendary cowboys, multitasking Glenn Jackson of Pawnee is making headlines. He is a calf roper, a business owner and operator, and a stunt double on the hit television series Yellowstone . What kind of guy is Jackson? He is the kind of guy that parents want to see their daughters with — polite to a fault, kind, respectful, with a stout moral compass, responsible, friendly, extremely positive, a fine example to our youth, and just plain fun to be around. Hard work and rodeo are in his DNA. Born in southern Texas, Jackson grew up in and around Houston. He spent much of his free time with his grandparents, who lived and ranched outside the city. His grandfather, Robert “Money” Jackson, was a well-liked working cowboy who not only rodeoed but also was a rodeo producer and stock contractor, ranch foreman, and business owner and operator. Both Glenn Jackson and his grandfather have a chapter written about them in the newly released book Black Cowboys of Rodeo — Unsung Heroes from Harlem to Hollywood and the American West by Keith Ryan Cartwright. Jackson’s family held high expectations for him to become a professional team roper, but the strong-willed teenager had a different opinion. He strayed toward the calf-roping pen. His strong work ethic mixed with a bit of pride drove him to excel in his field. Luck or fate brought him to cross paths with men whom he regards as mentors. Despite his inherent talent, he gives much of the credit for his successful roping career to his many mentors. The late Sedgwick Haynes taught Jackson how to take care of his belongings and how to manage his money while on the road. The late Calvin Greely taught Jackson a lot about how to be a people person. Greely also worked with famous calf ropers Fred Whitfield and Joe Beaver. Jackson is quick to include Jimmy Canton as another boost in his calf-roping career. Jackson is not excitable, but he does enjoy winning. His numerous accolades include annually qualifying for the Amer- ican Rodeo in Fort Worth, Texas, for the past few years, three-time average winner of the American Cowboy Rodeo Association (ACRA), multiple-year winner of Rodeo Miami, six-time winner of tie-down roping at the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, and first African-American cowboy to win the International Professional Rodeo Associ- ation (IPRA) tie-down and reserve cham- pionship, in 2008. He won the Cowboys Regional Rodeo Association (CRRA) and ACRA roping titles in 2019 and qualified for the finals of the PRCA Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo and the International Finals Rodeo (IFR). Jackson’s horse, RW, is a champion also. He was named IPRA Horse of the Year in 2019. In 2021, the cowboys of the Cow- boys Regional Rodeo Association voted RW as the Tie-Down Horse of the Year, a very special honor. Jackson is partial to the ACRA. “I’ve been a member for years. They reach out to everyone, from the kids starting out in the circuit to the everyday working guys who compete.” With far too many wins to list, he admits to being both blessed and extremely lucky. “I go slow enough to be correct but fast enough to win something,” he said. One of the guys he learned from was Camish Jennings, otherwise known as “Big Reach.” Because of him, Jackson learned the skill of maintaining long distance and accurate range with his rope. As odd as this might seem with his roping background, Jackson’s favorite rodeo event is bull riding. He likes to watch any great performance, but bull riding show- cases athletic contestants and stock. This event is extra special for him, having spent so much time with his grandfather growing up. Although Jackson was in a few commer- cials as a kid, the bigger picture came later. In 2017, he was asked to be a stunt double for Denim Richards in a film called The Chickasaw Rancher . The movie was based on the ranching empire of Montford T. Johnson in the 1800s. By 2018, Yellowstone had grabbed the attention of millions of viewers. Richards was working on the show playing the part of Colby. When the need for a stunt double came up, he suggested calling Jackson. “The Cowboy Extraordinaire by Kim Redo | Photographs courtesy of Glenn Jackson Stunt double Glenn Jackson (left) and actor Denim Richards take a photo break on the set of the television series Yellowstone .