Darolyn Butler

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Born: March 12, 1950 Residence: Humble, TX

Darolyn started riding before she could walk, and cried when taken off horses as a toddler. Even though there was no such thing as Endurance Riding in her native state of Oklahoma in the 1960’s, she claims to have been born to do just that. Early years found her riding for hours and hours, exploring the countryside on and near her family’s farm and ranch. She was soon active in horse shows and barrel racing, as that was the thing to do in Oklahoma in the ‘60’s & 70’s. A stint as Miss Rodeo Oklahoma, (she also won the Horsemanship Division in the Miss Rodeo America pageant), and a job as Miss Ford Country, (a cowgirl advertising campaign for Ford Motor Co.), gave her another boost in the equine direction.


In 1972 she was crowned Miss Oklahoma State University and after graduating from there, she represented Tony Lama Boot Company in East Texas and Southern Louisiana, which spurred her relocation to the Houston, Texas area. Horse shows and rodeos still filled her spare moments until she discovered Endurance Riding in 1981. A short year later, all the performing quarter horses had been replaced by Arabians and cross-Arabs, the breed of choice for endurance riding.


Her previous experience with horses served her well as she moved into the ultimate sport of Endurance Riding with devoted enthusiasm. The famous Tevis Cup Ride was her third Endurance Ride, and she won her first of several National Championships in 1984...

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