In Memory of Bill Ray August 14, 1941July 10, 2001

By Cheryl Lenox

Bill Ray loved cutting and cutters loved him.

Anyone who attended a cutting event in Arizona in the last five years would recognize the face of Bill Ray with his sunglasses on and a toothpick hanging from his mouth. He started getting interested in cutting horses in 1996 and in a few short years became an accomplished rider and owner of cutters.

Bill had a way with all animals, but his true passion was for horses. They were his working partners on the ranch he owned at one time with his father and brother. When he ran the family's lumber business he would spend time riding horses for pleasure in the mountain preserves of Phoenix and Cave Creek.

Bill owned some winning reining horses in the early 1990s, but by the end of 1996 Bill began to ride cutting horses and became hooked. In 1998 Bill showed in the $500 Rider, $2000 Limited Rider, and the $10,000 Amateur classes of the AZCHA. He rode his two horses, Little Mo Flow (LTE $10,692) and Peppy Peyote (LTE $66,194) to finish 3rd in the $500 Rider class and 6th in the other classes. David Costello rode Peppy Peyote for Bill to a Reserve Championship in the Open class.

Bill continued to show and acquired three more mounts in the following years, Cee Me Shake (a full sister to Shake - Flo) and Smoke a Peppymint (LTE $32,945). He showed in the Western Nationals in Ogden in 2000 and was in the top ten. Cee Me Shake was second for the year in the AZCHA $3000 Novice Horse class with Jack Hitchings riding her.

In 2001 Bill retired Cee Me Flo after she won over $22,000 and bred her to Docs Stylish Oak. He showed Smoke a Peppymint and is second in the standings for the $10,000 Amateur class to date.

Bill's pride and joy this year has been a three-year-old bay filly named Foxs Miss Olena San. He did all the work on her until very recently. Bill liked Foxy so much that he sent her to Jack Hitchings to prepare her for the PCCHA futurity. When Bill's wife, Sara, saw notes Bill had left to remind himself to make payments on the futurity she decided that they would go ahead and have Jack show Foxy in the futurity so that Bill's hopes and dreams for this filly would be fulfilled.

Smoke developed some health problems so Bill put him out to pasture to rest. Because Foxy was now at a trainers and Smoke was resting Bill did not have a horse to ride. When a friend offered Bill a horse to ride he eagerly accepted. On July 10th, Bill had a nice morning with Sara, a nice visit with a friend at his favorite restaurant and then he went to Rio Verde to ride his friend's horse. That was Bill's last ride. At sunset in the desert, Bill left us.

Bill's youngest daughter, Debbie Davis said, "my father was four very distinct things, a great husband, terrific father, loving grandfather, and avid horseman. I truly believe if any of these things had been taken from him it would have killed his soul. It gives me comfort to know that in the end, he had all four. I also believe that had he been given the choice, he would have gone out of this world exactly as he did, on a horse at sunset. I remember these things when the pain becomes overwhelming and I take great comfort in them."

Animals were a way of life with Bill. Sara said Bill had a way with animals and was comfortable in their company. He had tremendous patience with animals and his grandchildren. Sara is now carefully caring for Bill's red border collies, Deke and Frankie. Bill's favorite dog had been a Dachshund named Oscar. He was hit and killed by a car and Bill wrapped him in a special horse sheet that had been his first big cutting award and buried him in it. Bill's belt buckles and horse awards will be given to his grandchildren, Lauren, Katy, and Stephanie Miller, William E. Ray III, Halee Davis, Ryan Theis, and Courtney Tinker.

The most noticeable thing about Bill was that he accepted people just as they were. He did not seem to judge others and he never spoke badly of people. This is what made him so pleasant to be with and to show with. He went to small club cuttings and treated people there just as kindly and respectfully as he did at the big events in Ogden and Ft. Worth.

It is with heavy heart that all of us say good-bye to Bill Ray. He leaves an empty saddle that will never be filled or replaced. The members of the AZCHA will always hold Sara and his family in our hearts and in our prayers. We'll see Bill on the other side of the sunset someday. Until then, good-bye Bill, we miss you.