Pat Garretts Legacy
I’m Susan Allen welcome to OpenRange. Funny how someone’s life can be chock full of accomplishments yet one circumstance or simple twist of fate changes forever their legacy. Ah ,such was the case with Pat Garrett one of our western icons as the three words forever associated with his name have nothing to do with his visionary farming, agriculture and horse breeding techniques. Stay tuned for his story after a the break. Pat Garrett’s legacy would be forever linked with, no, not cattle although many cattle throughout the vast new Mexico range once wore garrets simple brand with three letters PAT. He won’t be remembered for his the fact he was instrumental in working with wealthy Scotsman Brandon C. Kirby to import one hundred and forty Black Angus bulls to breed with over eleven thousand head of New Mexican cows, forever changing the face of the US cattle Industry. Sadly you find a a reference to Garrett in ag science text book despite his innovative farming techniques of designing a massive irrigation system, consisting of flumes, canals dams that eventually turned over 40,000 acres desert near what is now Carlsbad New Mexico into an oasis of lush orchards, dairies and farmlands. then there's the fact he was fact Pat Garretts passion for nice horses resulted in bringing thoroughbreds and trotters (now better known as standardbreds) into Texas and New Mexico establishing what has become a lucrative horse racing industry in both states. Given all his many accomplishments Pat Garret became one of our greatest western legends for hunting down and shooting cold blooded killer, horse thief and cattle rustler Billy the Kid.
