*photo credit When the stories of legendary cowboys and cowgirls are written, there are no doubt many mentions of a great horse or two in the mix. Rich Skelton and Chili Dog. Guy Allen and Jeremiah. Roy Cooper and Stran Smith’s Topper. Charmayne James and Scamper.
The list could go on and on of rodeo legends and their legendary horses. However, there is one cowboy and his horse whose impact on the rodeo industry, namely roping and barrel racing, is still felt today. That horse was Driftwood, otherwise known to world champion roper Asbury Schell as Speedy, and though the horse died in 1960, his legacy lives on today through the efforts of a handful of dedicated Driftwood breeders, including Arizona’s own Mel Potter.
Mel Potter is no stranger to the horse and rodeo industries. He began his rodeo career at the age of 9, when he first started spending his winters in the Arizona sun, learning to rope and appreciate good horses. Potter college rodeoed for the University of Arizona and qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in calf roping in 1959, the first year the event was held. However, unlike most cowboys who scrape by a living trying to make it in the rodeo world, Potter is a businessman. Summers are spent at his family’s farm in Wisconsin, where the Potter family has been growing Ocean Spray cranberries for more than 100 years. The combination of business savvy and a love of great horses has made Potter’s operation one to be envied by many.
Of course, the Potter operation wouldn’t be complete without Mel’s family. His wife, Wendy, is herself a very accomplished barrel racer, as is oldest daughter JoLynn Alexander, who lives with her husband, George, and kids on the Potter ranch in Marana, Ariz. Probably the best-known barrel racer of the family is a lanky blond by the name of Sherry – Sherry Cervi, two-time World Champion barrel racer, that is. (read more)
