Virginia Reger
40 years of Rodeo and Horse Shows
Trick Rider, Black Light Trick Roping, Riding a jumping horse over a car, horse trainer, Quadrille rider, Director of Girls Rodeo AssT., spokesperson for Rodeo Cowboy Assn., western clothing designer and model, Manager of Quarter Horse Shows, Director of Frontier Quarter Horse Assoc. Director Alamo Youth Quarter Horse Assoc. Supt of Llamas Shows. Director of the Oklahoma Llama Assoc.
Virginia was born in 1927 into a ranch and rodeo family. The JP Ranch at Buffalo, OK owned by Geo W. Crouch, her mother’s father. Parents Monte H. Reger & Opal Crouch Reger. Virginia first rode the Grand Entry 1929 rodeo produced by grandfather & father. 1935 to 1940, performed 3 acts with Jim Eskew’s JE Ranch Rodeo in the eastern states. Her Father produced rodeos for a few years in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Texas.
Some of the producers Virginia worked for Verne Elliott, Don Nesbitt, Homer Todd, Everett E. Colbum, Lighting “C” Ranch, Beutler Brothers, Lynn Beutler, Jim Eskew, JE Ranch Rodeo, Jack & Earl Sellers, Harry Knight, Cremer Rodeo Company, Tommy & Buck Steiner, Bobby Estes, Harry Vold, Harley Tucker.
She performed throughout the United States, Cuba, & Mexico City, at this same time showing at Palomino 8 Quarter Horse shows and winning her share. Some of the rodeos she worked were Boston Garden, MA Macis Square Garden, NY; Ft Worth, TX; Tulsa, Ok; Houston, TX; Phoenix, Ariz; Dallas State Fair Rodeo; California Rodeo in Balinas.
Virgina fashioned her costumes and also western wear for clothing manufacturers. She modeled for Blue Bell and Wrangler for many years and Panhandle Slim Co. pictures appearing in Western Horseman and other western publications. She has appeared on many TV and radio shows and newspapers doing advance publicity for rodeos and horse shows. Also trick roping for USO and VA and children’s hospitals.
Virginia and Tom Hadley were married in 1950 and divorced in 1974. They had 2 sons that worked with Virginia in trick riding and showing horses. Virginia was in the movie” Bus Stop” with her 2 year old son, Mat Hadley.
In 1968 Virginia started her son Mark Hadley showing in Quarter Horse and cutting contest. Mark won the AQHA Youth World Champion in 1974. She has owned 2 ladies ready to wear shops, a saddle shop and sold real estate. Virginia and Basil, her husband, started breeding and showing Llamas in 1987. She has had stories of her rodeo life in newspapers, horse and llama publications.
In 2002 Virginia moved from the Oklahoma ranch to the ranch in Llano, TX where she is in partnership with her son Mark Hadley producing team ropings. Rodeo is a hard and interesting life and I hope my son continues with it. You meet every kind of people and still are with the down to earth people who are the sons and daughters of the pioneers who settled the western frontier. A few years ago Virginia and her mother, Opal Reger, donated the mounted head of BobCat Twister to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Bobby now resides in the archives.
