Last year the Patagonia Regional Times felt that George Masek should be one of our citizens of the year for the many ways in which he had contributed to the local community over decades. George said he would rather not be publicly recognized. For those who knew him, this desire to be outside the limelight was a lifelong part of his character.
After Masek’s death in April at the age of 88, Leonard Anderson, his stepson, found a hoard of photographs he had never seen. He put together a slide show for Masek’s memorial event at the fairgrounds on May 16. There were images of Masek as an enlisted man in the US Navy in World War ll and as a US Army officer during the Korean war. It turned out that Masek had acted the part of a cowboy in a Walt Disney film, Horse of the West. He was a talented polo player, and at his Sonoita home, Grass Ridge Farm, he and his late wife, Nina, organized fox hunts with a pack of hounds, English riding costumes, and a jackrabbit or coyote substituting for the fox as prey. It seemed that throughout his life George Masek smiled and enjoyed whatever came as his way.
George and Nina were probably best known for the Grass Ridge Horse Trials that took place at their farm annually for 46 years. The trials brought competitive riders from near and far. Eight years ago the event added horse and cart competitions, including teams of miniature horses. Emily Riney, who catered the three-day event each year, says it took an enormous amount of organization and many volunteers but was always well planned and executed. Masek’s family have decided not to carry this tradition forward, saying, “It’s simply too much work.”
The people who spoke at Masek’s memorial service described a man who loved and had a special way with horses, dogs, and people. “He was the most comfortable person in his own skin I’ve ever met,” said one friend.