EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

A Living Legend

It would take many pages to pay proper homage to Mr. Ben Jordan of Smithville Oklahoma. My writing skills fall short to do the man justice. But if you will indulge me I would like to tell one recent story from last week. I think this story is just one example of many of who and what he is and what he expects of himself and his dogs..
  Mr. Ben just turned 80 years old recently. Friends threw him a surprise party for his birthday a few months back. Folks came from everywhere and had a great time roosting ole Ben with old tales and stories.  Ben still raises and uses BMC dogs every day of his life. He has owned and uses the finest BMC stock dogs there are in my opinion.. He is a cattleman, rancher and pure cowboy to this day. For many years he ran cattle and hogs on over 80,000 acres of kiemichie free-range wilderness in eastern Oklahoma. This is rough country that takes tough men and good dogs with lots of bottom and skill to be successful. Mr. Ben is that man and this line of dogs are the dogs for it and have been for many years. Ben is one of the best dog men and cowboys that are still alive today. He still runs 100’s of cows on his place and others around that country.
  Mr. Ben was the 1961, 1962 and 1963 World champion All around cowboy in the IPRA (International pro rodeo association). He was world champion Bare Back bronk rider in 1961, 62,63, 64 and 1965. He was the world bull-riding champion in 1961 and 1962. I can just imagine the bumps and stock wrecks his body took all those years. But it never stopped him from doing what he loved. Some folks think they know dogs, some folks thing they are tough but I honestly doubt many can make a pimple on the mans butt today.

 The other day Ben has some fence down on a place and some cattle getting scattered. All by himself, He decided to hook his trailer up and take a one-year-old gyp pup he was starting and his saddle horse and go over and see what he needed to do. This young gyp is out of an old family of dogs that have been a key part of his, ours and several more programs for 40 years or more now. We have Ricky Driver, my father in law Ed Owens and my brother in law Bob Owens (Big O) to thank for that.  This little gyp goes back to the Big Boy x Blondie cross over 35 times in her pedigree. She is out of Clue Anderson’s Cowboy dog and our Sara gyp. In my opinion Cowboy is the finest BMC stud dog to have come along in many a year.  Clue kept 3 of those pups and gave Ben a couple, the pup Ben loaded that day was one of them.  Clue is another feller who ranks right up there with the best cowboys and dog men that I know. Good honest family man who knows what he’s doing!
On with the story, Ben got over to the pasture, got on his horse, called the dog and away they went. He rode a mile or so down the fencerow, found where the fence was down. After sizing up the situation he decided to gather all those cattle and drive em to another place. He sent that young gyp to find and bay different bunches of cattle. She’d go find em and get em all gathered up one bunch at a time. Ben would drive em to another bunch and finally they set about driving all of them to where Ben eventually wanted them. Ben said she got out front and was leading like a dog is supposed to with style and class. An old cow would try to peel off and leave, that gyp would go get em stopped and put her back in the bunch, then get back up front and go to leading again. Along the way they came to a swollen, fast running creek. Now there are lots of old dogs that wont take to that. Ben said she hesitated and kind of rolled around to one side. He kind of scolded her a bit, threw a rope at her and she bailed off in that water, still out front, swimming and still leaden cattle. They got em driven over to the place he wanted to turn em out in and said he was sure proud of that pup; she’d done one heck of job. That is something rare, to hear him Brag on one.
Now this story takes a little twist here when the rest of the story came out. Come to find out he had driven those cattle horseback for 6 or 7 miles to the other pasture. The dog leading the whole way and putting cattle back in the bunch all along the way. When he got there he couldn’t get hold of anyone by phone to come get him so at 80 years old after all of that he just Loped his hose, dog along side 6 or 7 miles back to his truck.
Pretty amazing story for an 80 year old man and a year old pup in my view. But, like I said, that’s Ben Jordan, what he expects, who his is and what he dose.

Very cool indeed.

Heard allot about this man. And that's a heck of a story glad to hear he is doin what he loves at that age

Also heard a lot about Mr.Jordan. It is on my bucket list to go see him one day and maybe i will be lucky enough to talk him into letting me drink a coffee on his porch and talk dogs and the old days.

Thanks for sharing.

cool story for sure. i hope to one day see a good cowdog work cattle like you are talking about. i aint a city boy but aint seen a dog work cattle yet. bucket list x2

Very good story!! It's always nice to pay tribute to the old timers that truly were dog men

would love to shake this old mans hand with a grin on my face ;D

Great story and a friend of mine just picked up another pup this pass week end from Mr. Ben.  I also have one in training now.  The Courage dog I bred my Toddy's Lil Momma to was of Ben's yard.  I have worked with a few of these dogs and all have turned out to be good dogs.  Really like the looks of the litter I have at 12 weeks.
Mr. Ben has my thanks for the dogs he has produced and placed.

They don't make them like that no more thats a fact !  Hard to come across men like that these days .

very good story those are the kind of men that you wish you could keep around forever.

Thanks for posting that story. It was well worth reading. Those are the kind you dont forget.....

Great story. I very much enjoyed that and hope to have half the happiness he does at that age.

Reading a story like that sure shrinks a mans ego haha. Great story, I pray to God I can still sit on a horse at 80!

thats a cool story

like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that's a story.

Loved the story. Thanks for sharing.

Great!!

 I was wondering if you was gonna post up the story here Skoal, Its a good one for sure. I got to meet Ben at the cowdog trials year before last along with other real dogmen, and he is one of the most humble folks you'll ever meet. The Cowboy X Sara cross is something very special as we know and its a damn shame the cross can never be made again. Like I said I wouldnt take any amount of money for my cowboy X sara gyp, I just hope I do right by her and all the dogmen that made her possible.

The dog that set the standard for dogs in my eyes was from bens yard off Cotten  he drowned in the river at age 13 last year his offspring are doing great but not sure there will ever be another Sampson

were could somebody get a couple of pups off Mr. Jordans line.

That's the kind of old men I can sit and listen to for days.

txmason has a litter ;)

good read ! ive known of mr ben for 15 years when a guy i caught cattle with got a few started dogs from him . been kickin my self ever since for letting them dogs get away . lol

now i,ve got 3 young dogs out of cowboy and love them .

mr ben told me he started with 250 woods sows and a pair of curdogs from his father inlaw . said he used to bay up and drive hogs 10-12 miles just like cattle . he's probly forgot more than most will ever learn .

i live 20 mins from ben but have never met him but would like to,i hunt with and know a bunch of people who know him and said he is first class all the way.there r alot of guys around here that made a living running hogs and cattle and horses in the mountians.they have good horses and good dogs.but trying to get sum of there bloodline is tuff.

i thought Mr. Mason raised Catahoulas

sounds like he has both ;)