Si was very involved in the equestrian community through his Jedlicka’s Western Wear store and his prize riding groups: Los Rancheros Visitadores, Los Rancheros Pobres and Santa Barbara Trial Riders.
Si was very involved in the equestrian community through his Jedlicka’s Western Wear store and his prize riding groups: Los Rancheros Visitadores, Los Rancheros Pobres and Santa Barbara Trial Riders. Credit: Jenkins family photo

Josiah Cook “Si” Jenkins was born July 30, 1933, in Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. He passed away peacefully March 12, 2026, after a long full life.

His parents were Helen and Josiah Jenkins, who moved to Santa Barbara from Colorado. Si’s father was a telegrapher on the railroad at one time in Kelker, Colorado.

Si grew up on Santa Barbara’s Westside at the corner of Robbins and West Micheltorena streets. He attended Harding Elementary School, La Cumbre Junior High School and Santa Barbara High School, from which he graduated in 1951.

Then he attended Woodbury College on Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles, where he took business administration and advertising classes.

During summer vacations, Si came back to work for Jed and Jedlicka’s. During the school year, he worked for Mac Pherson Leather at the corner of Sixth and San Pedro streets in downtown Los Angeles while attending college.

Si enjoyed horses from an early age, both as a Boy Scout and a helper for Dick May. Dick had the stables at the end of West Victoria Street and took a liking to Si and taught him many of the things he used all his life.

After college, Si entered the Army and did a stint in Alaska serving as “Top Cover” for America. Si used his leave to come back to Santa Barbara and work for Jed and Jedlicka’s just like he did while attending college.

He started his career at Jedlicka’s in 1946 as a sweep out boy. He progressed up the chain of command to become manager in the 1960s and owner in the ’70’s.

When he started at Jedlicka’s, it was just a small shoe repair at 2605 Hollister Avenue at Highway 101. Hollister Avenue was renamed either State Street or De la Vina Street depending on what segment you are talking about when the current Highway 101 was relocated through Santa Barbara.

Si remembered 1950 when they finally pushed State Street through and over the bluff at Constance Avenue to Mission Creek and beyond to connect with what we know as Upper State Street today.

He saw Jedlicka’s grow tremendously over the years. In the 1940s, after being convinced by J.J. Hollister Sr., Mr. Jedlicka got in the saddlery business.

Before 1950, Si was one of the crew that included three boot makers, four shoe repairmen, and three men in the saddle shop making chaps, belts, reins and bridles, etc.

In the 1950s, Si helped bring in western wear, starting with Levi’s, Stetson Hats and California Ranchwear shirts.

It was 1958 when the English saddlery section was added for hunter/jumpers and polo folks.

Si was quoted as saying “We did a lot of manufacturing in those days, but had to succumb to mass production and dropped our custom made boots for Acme, Justin and Tony Lama.”

The custom saddle and repair business ceased in the late ’80s.

Si continued to oversee one of the longest surviving independent retail stores in Santa Barbara and oldest western shops in California with Cotton’s Cowboy Corral being No. 2. He opened his second store in Los Olivos, in the Santa Ynez Valley, in 1978.

The Santa Barbara store closed in April 2019 (beaten by the internet), but the Los Olivos store remains open and very active to this date!

Si met his wife to be of 65 years, Karen Ferguson, at a Santa Barbara County Riding Club function in Montecito.

Karen lived across from Rancho Arnez in Oakview and was late arriving to the ride. Si graciously helped her saddle her horse and the rest is history.

They were married in 1961 and had two children born in Santa Barbara. Josiah lives in Santa Ynez with his wife, Kathy, and works for Jedlicka’s. Dorothy and her husband, Rod, are living in El Dorado Hills, California, and both retired from the State Franchise Tax Board as auditors and CPAs.

Si was involved with multiple riding groups over the years. He was a lifetime member of the Santa Barbara County Riding Club, where he got started on his equestrian career in the mid-1940s.

He was a founding member of the Santa Barbara County Quarter Horse Association, and served on the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce board, as well as the Northside Business Association and the Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees).

He was also a member and past president of Santa Barbara Trail Riders since 1958 and served more than 18 years on the board of the 19th District Agricultural Association (Earl Warren Showgrounds).

For the Vaquero Camp in Rancheros Visitadores, he was a wrangler for several years around 1950 while in high school and mavericked in 1976 for the Vaquero Camp. He later transferred to Los Gringos Camp, where he served many years as treasurer for the Gringo Camp and member of the RV Trails Committee.

He was also a strong supporter and volunteer of the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo, starting back in the 1960s and ’70s. He was the local announcer in the ’70s when the announcer’s box was on top of the bucking chutes, Cotton Rosser was the stock contractor and Mac Lockery the RCA/PRCA announcer.

Si announced numerous horse shows, including the annual May show at the Alisal Ranch Arena (1960s and ’70s); was a founding member of the arena and riding facilities across from the Santa Barbara County Jail (circa 1970), which now serves as the home for HEARTS Therapeutic Riding Center; and was involved with several fox hunting groups in California, including the Santa Ynez Valley Hounds, which he served as honorary secretary for a number of years (1980s and ’90s) and the West Hills Hunt.

Si and Karen were also founding members of the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center on Refugio Road in Santa Ynez.

In 2008, Si and Karen served as honorary vaqueros for the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo. In 2013, both were depicted in the annual Fiesta poster, riding up State Street in the Fiesta parade and with their horses, Boone and Homer.

They also were honored by the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum in July 2012 for their contributions to the equestrian community.

Si and Karen kept horses at their home in Santa Barbara for 50-plus years and he was still riding into his late 80s. He maintained active participation in Rancheros Visitadores, Santa Barbara Trail Riders and Los Pobres Rancheros, where he made the weekly Pobre lunch at Harry’s Plaza Café every Saturday like clockwork!

Donation’s in Si’s memory can be made to the Carriage and Western Art Museum of Santa Barbara, P.O. Box 1587, Santa Barbara 93102, or to the Rancheros Visitadores Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 1859, Santa Ynez 93460.

A Celebration of Life will take place at 4 p.m. April 29 at the Carriage and Western Art Museum of Santa Barbara, 129 Castillo St. in Santa Barbara.