Youree
Ranch Family History
Dale and Florence Youree
have been barrel racing since their marriage in 1950. Florence is the 1966 All
Around GRA (Now called the WPRA) World Champion. Florence was also the 1993
Coca-Cola Woman of the year for her contributions to the sport of rodeo. Dale
has won such honors as being the first Old Fort Days Futurity winner in 1978
and has been back to the winner's circle many times. He has also won numerous
Barrel Futurities of America Championships and recently won the 2002 Oklahoma
Senior Barrel Racing Championship. Dale is an AQHA Congress World Barrel Racing
Champion and a two-time AQHA World Barrel Racing Champion. To date, the Youree
Ranch has earned more barrel racing championships than most people would ever
dream of winning in their entire lifetime. In 1977, their daughter Renee married
James Ward. The entire family has joined together to create a barrel racing
powerhouse in Oklahoma.
Like Dale, James
has seen many barrel futurity championships including the 1984 BFA Championship
on Van Eagles Little Dude. The following year, Renee qualified for the NFR
on the same horse. Renee won the Congress two times and was a member of the
Copenhagen Pro Rodeo Team. James also won the 1989 BFA Championship on Assured
Profit. Youree Ranch is very involved in local barrel racing as well as being
one of the founders of the Barrel Futurities of America.
The granddaughters
of Florence and Dale Youree are also taking the barrel racing world by storm.
Janae Ward was the 1998 and 1999 Oklahoma High School Rodeo Barrel Racing
Champion, and the 2001 College National Champion. Cassie
Ward was the 2005 and 2007 Oklahoma High School Rodeo
Association Barrel Racing Champion, 2007 OHSRA All
Around Champion, 4-time National High School Finals
Rodeo Qualifier, 2008 and 2009 United Professional Rodeo
Association All Around Champion, 2009 and 2010 Southwest
Region Intercollegiate All Around Champion, 2-time
College National Finals Rodeo Qualifier. Kylie
Ward is a 2-time National High School Finals Rodeo
Qualifier, 2007 Oklahoma High School State Finals Barrel
Racing Champion, 2-time College National Finals Rodeo
Barrel Racing Qualifier, 2009 Sherry Lynn Johnson Barrel
Racing Champion.
Florence Youree has recently been inducted, as a 1996
Honoree, into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and
Western Heritage Center.
In
2009, Florence Youree was inducted into the National
Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy and Western
Heritage Museum.
The Youree Ranch takes barrel racing very seriously, but never forgets
the fun the sport has brought to our
lives.
