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County's Woman Jockey Established Name in '40sFarmington's first female Jockey is not someone new who entered the scene with San Juan Downs. She is Jackie Dragoo Watson, a Farmington native who served as pony girt at the San Juan County Fairs and rode as a Jockey all around the basin beginning in 109.A new dty park, a quarter-mile east oi Farmington, opened in 1099 in time for Jackie to begin her career as a Jockey. The park was the site of the San Juan County Fair and ccnsjgtari of a race track, iudaas itanH cmzaiatand. and an exhibit hall. The location, north of today’s intersection of Highway Sdt and Fairgrounds Road, can no longer be considered “east of town/*Sam Carson, a Mend of the Dragoo family, noticed that Jackie showed a gift for working with horses. The horses were in training twice a day. Morning sessions began about 5 sjxl Jackie earned the role of jockey for Carson’s hones.First BreakfastThe first buyer's breakfast was held at S a.m. in September, 1969.Jackie rode horses in Cortez, Durango and Farmington. Many of the races were matched contests with two challengers, others had a large field, such as at the Spanish Trails Fiesta in Durango. She remembers getting out of school several times’ to show horses. The 1839San Juan County Fair horse races included a quarter mile free-for-all, a half mile free-for-all and a mile and a half relay.Jackie and her husband. Gene Watson, own and manage the Hustler Stationery Store, 119 W. Main, Farmington.Early 1940s — FIRST GIRL JOCKEY of record in San Juan County. Jackie Dragoo Watson is shown here with her quarterhorse Tenderfoot that she broke to ride.
Newspaper Details
Farmington Daily Times
Farmington, New Mexico, US
Sat, Aug 25, 1984
Page 37
Full Page
Clipped by
Ryan W.
NA, 23 Nov 2018
Other Publications Near Farmington, New Mexico
Farmington Daily Times
Farmington Republican
Farmington San Juan Times
Farmington Times
Farmington Times Hustler
