Cowboy like a
by Melissa McGee Buehler with Judy McGee photos courtesy Matthews Coach’s Corral
Edsel Matthews takes it from the court to the corral in Fair Grove, Missouri.
December 2019
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he great football coach, Vince Lombardi, once said, “The only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Much like a coach strives to put together a team that can win a championship, so cattlemen strive to be great in their arenas as well. In the cattle business, whether purebred or commercial, producers are faced with a litany of trials and diversity in the quest to raise the ideal specimen. “Building an outstanding cowherd is much like putting together a successful basketball program. First, you look to see what the successful coaches are doing. Then, you develop a plan with quality individuals. Finally, you trade your bed for
a candle and work really hard,” says Edsel Matthews. The roots of Matthews Coach’s Corral (MCC) originate with Edsel’s great-grandfather, Charlie Matthews, who farmed 80 acres in Buffalo, Missouri. His father, Eddie Matthews, continued with the farm, even after accepting the men’s basketball coaching job at Missouri State University. Being a third-generation cattle producer, Edsel’s interest and involvement in raising cattle followed him through childhood, years of coaching and administration, and now into retirement.
ministration, it was not hard to choose the farm name, Matthews Coach’s Corral, which stems from Edsel’s long and successful career in athletics. Edsel was the head men’s basketball coach at Drury University, athletic director of Springfield Public Schools, and Athletic Director and Vice President of Athletics at Drury
After nearly four decades in coaching and athletic adthestockmanmag.com | THE STOCKMAN
