John Beall Jr. was the first to ride his mare, Della, across the football field after the Cowboys scored a touchdown in 1984. More than four decades later, the tradition Beall Jr. started continues today.

© Oklahoma State Athletics

By Chloe Abbott News On 6

CLEVELAND, OK–OCTOBER 22, 2024–OSU Spirit Rider, horse trainer, rancher, father and all-around cowboy, John Beall Jr. passed away quietly October 8, 2024, in his home in Cleveland, Oklahoma.

John Beall Jr. was born on July 11, 1962, to John Beall Sr. and Anna Mary (Susie) Tucker Beall in Nacogdoches, Texas. The family moved from Texas to the Norman, Oklahoma, area in 1968 and John went on to graduate from Norman High School in 1981. 

He then attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University on a rodeo scholarship. John transferred to Oklahoma State University in the spring of 1983 and graduated with a degree in Agricultural Economics in 1986. While attending OSU, John continued to participate in college and open rodeos.

He became the OSU Rodeo Team President and was selected as the first OSU Spirit Rider. John was also a member of the National Champion Horse Judging Team for OSU.

After graduating with a degree in Agricultural Economics, he started his first job at the famed B.F. Phillips Ranch as the Assistant Ranch Manager, kickstarting a 30-year horse training career that resulted in being the leading Quarter Horse trainer at Remington Park for eight consecutive years.

In 1985, John met Carol Robertson at Oklahoma State University. John and Carol went on to get married and have two sons together, Stephen and Cody Beall.

John Beall Jr. loved life and he was a cowboy’s cowboy!  He loved training horses, and he loved roping!  Nothing made him happier than time in the roping arena, even at the end of a long day of work.  He loved to hunt, he loved to cook and share his cooking with others,  especially more “cowboy type cooking” in cast ironware. 

He was hilarious and had the gift of bringing people together!  He loved his job, horse racing, horse training and all of the things that went with it.  He taught himself Spanish and spoke it fluently and he loved his boys and helping young people. 

He coached and assisted in coaching several high school horse judging teams over the years and loved every minute of it.

In 2012, John had a tragic horse accident forcing him to retire from ranch management and racehorse training. He spent his time quail hunting, cooking and trail riding. John was preceded in death by both his mother and father.

He is survived by his sons Stephen and Cody, grandson Ryker, sister Dr. Lucette Beall, niece Hallie Sewell and many friends across the country whose lives he touched.

A celebration of life will be held November 16 at 1 p.m. at the McClain County OSU Extension Center in the Community Banquet Room located at 1721 Hardcastle Blvd., Purcell, OK 73080.

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the John Beall Memorial Scholarship Fund at Oklahoma State University, address: Oklahoma State University Foundation, Attn: James Ambrose, P.O. Box 1749, Stillwater, OK 74076-1749 Memo: John Beall Memorial Scholarship Fund.