Joe McDermott
Like many in the horse industry, Joe McDermott learned to love horses through his
father, Joe McDermott Sr. During his high school years, Joe enjoyed being a tie down calf roper,
as well as being a varsity starter in football, basketball, and tennis. He received a 4 year full
scholarship to Rice University to play basketball, where he became the leading scorer in the
Southwest Conference. He was a star player for the Owls from 1949-1951 and received the
Distinguished “R” Man award from Rice University in 1982. After graduation, Joe served two
years in the Army, part of which was spent playing basketball for Army's team, the Comets.
Once out of the service, he played basketball for Bud Adams’ semi-pro team for a few years. Joe
then ventured into the commercial real estate business, successfully developing many Houston
landmark locations such as Town & Country, Northwest Crossing, Champions, Cypress Station
and other commercial developments in the area.
McDermott was able to transfer his success from the business world to horse racing. His
McDermott Ranch was a leading Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred breeder for more than 30
years, with an impressive list of Thoroughbred stallions including The Prime Minister, Texas
City, Ruhlmann, Smile and Kentucky Derby winner Spend a Buck. McDermott Ranch was the
leading Thoroughbred breeding farm in Texas in 1999 by progeny earnings, founded in 1968 in
Madisonville, Texas, primarily as a Quarter Horse facility. Joe moved the ranch near Waller in
the early 1990s and focused exclusively on Thoroughbreds.
McDermott served on the TTA Board of Directors from 1979 to 1985, including two years
as president of the TTA. He was twice named Texas Breeder of the Year in 1981 and 2001, and
he bred and owned or co-owned two Texas Champions, Boy’s Nite Out and Lights on
Broadway. For his contributions on the racetrack, as a breeder, and in the board room, he was
honored with the T.I. “Pops” Harkins Award.
Joe has also enjoyed great success with Quarter Horses, as he bred All American Futurity
winner Pie in the Sky and owned a half-interest in the great Quarter Horse stallion Easy Jet.