Buster Welch  Buster Welch (May 23, 1928), born near Sterling City, Texas, is a cutting horse trainer and inductee into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame, American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame, National Cutting Horse Association Riders Hall of Fame and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Buster was chosen as the recipient of the 2012 National Golden Spur Award for his "outstanding contributions to the ranching and livestock industry". Buster won the NCHA World Championship four times, and the NCHA World Championship Futurity five times. The most notable horses he trained include Marion's Girl, Chickasha Mike, Money's Glo who he trained and in 1962 won the first NCHA World Championship Futurity, in 1963 he won it on Chickasha Glo, in 1966 on Rey Jay's Pete, in 1971 on Dry Doc, and in 1977 on Peppy San Badger. He won the NCHA World Championship on Marion's Girl in 1954 and 1956. He trained Mr San Peppy and won the NCHA World Championship in 1974 and 1976. Buster Welch was born on May 23, 1928, near Sterling City Texas. Buster's ancestral heritage dates back to Tennessean roots and family settlements in Texas before the Civil War. He was born and raised to early childhood near the divide of the Colorado and Concho Rivers, north of Sterling City, Texas. His mother died shortly after his birth, leaving his grandparents to raise him for a time on their stock farm. His father remarried, and moved the family to Midland, Texas, where he worked for Atlantic Richfield. While still in grade school, Buster had run away from home several times, and would skip school to spend time at the stockyards where he learned to ride broncs. At age 13, he left home permanently and landed a job breaking horses, working large herds of cattle, and tending to various other ranch chores for cattlemen, Foy and Leonard Proctor, in Midland, Texas. It was there that Buster learned the basics of riding and working cattle that followed him into adulthood. After leaving Proctor's, Buster worked for many prominent ranches such as the 6666 Ranch, Pitchfork Ranch, King Ranch, Long X, and a few other ranches where he developed his skills working with rough stock and cattle. His goal was to one day have a ranch of his own. In the early 1980s, Buster and his wife Sheila, lived and worked in Kingsville, Texas, on the King Ranch. Sheila rode cutting horses and competed in cutting horse competition.