With more than five decades in the saddle, Derrell shares practical horsemanship grounded in safety, patience, feel, timing, and respect for the horse.
Team Role:
Horsemanship Instructor & Ranch Horseman
Focus Area:
Horsemanship, Ranch Riding & Cattle Work
Years of experience:
50+ years
For Derrell Cox, horses and ranch life are a way of life passed down through generations. Born and raised in Winnsboro, Texas, he has spent more than 50 years in the saddle, building practical knowledge of Western horsemanship, ranching, and working cattle.
The family’s ranching story began in 1953, when Derrell’s grandfather, Thomas Lewis Cox, purchased the land that would become the foundation for generations of the Cox family. Thomas raised cattle, worked in the oil fields, and raised fishing worms to sell to a local bait shop. His work helped build a life centered on the land and providing for his family.
In 1968, Thomas’s son, Gerald Cox, started a dairy operation. Derrell was six years old, growing up around cattle, horses, and agriculture. That early experience shaped his connection to the ranching way of life.
Derrell started his first colt at age 12 and began riding horses for other people. Working with inexperienced and sometimes unpredictable colts taught him patience, feel, timing, and confidence. Those horses also helped him recognize how much breeding and a sound foundation can influence a horse’s development.
Over the years, he went on to start and train hundreds of horses. One particularly memorable two-year-old changed how he looked at breeding. That lesson stayed with him and became part of his approach to developing each horse with patience and purpose.
Derrell and Brenda met during their freshman year of high school, dated for two years, and later married. Shortly after their marriage, Derrell joined his father, Gerald, in the dairy business.
In 2009, Derrell began breeding and raising his own horses at Bar C Ranch in Franklin County, Texas. Today, he and Brenda continue to raise AQHA Quarter Horses and cattle. They work cattle horseback, carrying forward the skills and traditions that have been part of the Cox family for generations.
Many horses bred and trained by Derrell have gone on to become accomplished roping and cow horses. He also works cattle for ranchers and cattlemen throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and other parts of the United States, drawing on the values and practical experience that have guided him throughout his life.
Through Western riding and horsemanship lessons at Wild Eagle Arena, Derrell shares what a lifetime of riding, training, breeding, ranching, and cattle work has taught him. Safety comes first. His approach starts with understanding the horse, respecting the animal, and learning how to communicate clearly.
His teaching covers:
Across those skills, the aim is the same: build confidence and a deeper understanding of the horse through patience, feel, and timing.
Explore horsemanship lessons with Derrell Cox, or contact Timber Creek to ask about current availability.
Family ranching roots since 1953 · More than 50 years in the saddle
Performance Horse Trainer
