Dr. W.H. Worrell, 91, of Brenham, Texas passed away this morning. Dr. Worrell served as president of the National Cutting Horse Association in 1955, and was inducted into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame in 2008.

During his term as president, NCHA held its first Convention, and introduced judging clinics and training films. He appointed the association’s first finance and judging committees.

“When I was just starting out, I became very fascinated with cutting horses,” Dr. Worrell told me in 1996. “I’d always keep one Open horse and a young one that I was riding. And I’d get Matlock (Rose) and some of the top cutters of the day to help me.

“We used to fight and argue and fuss and bet. They loved to get me because I was a dentist. They’d tell me I didn’t know anything (about cutting) and I really didn’t. I just picked their brains.”

As president, Dr. Worrell asked secretary-treasurer Doug Mitchell how much NCHA had in the bank, and was told “Nothing.”

“So I went and got some businessmen and I put them on the financial committee to look at the books.

“Then I put all of the cutters together on the Rule Book. After two days, none of them were speaking to each other. I said, ‘you all stay in this room.’

“Back then, if you lost a cow, the judge might deduct two points or one or four. I said we had to have some kind of continuity. Can you imagine getting all of them to decide? It went  on for days and people weren’t speaking, but we re-wrote the rules and most of them are still standing.”

Visitation will be Wednesday, August 24, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Memorial Oaks Chapel, 1306 W. Main Street, Brenham, Texas. (979) 836-4564. A memorial service will be August 25 at 10: a.m.