Buster was chosen as the recipient of the 2012 National Golden Spur Award for his "outstanding contributions to the ranching and livestock industry".
The most notable horses he trained include Marion's Girl, Chickasha Mike, Money's Glo who he trained and in 1962 won the first NCHA World Championship Futurity, in 1963 he won it on Chickasha Glo, in 1966 on Rey Jay's Pete, in 1971 on Dry Doc, and in 1977 on Peppy San Badger.
[3] Buster's ancestral heritage dates back to Tennessean roots and family settlements in Texas before the Civil War.
He was born and raised to early childhood near the divide of the Colorado and Concho Rivers, north of Sterling City, Texas.
[4]: 111 His mother died shortly after his birth, leaving his grandparents to raise him for a time on their stock farm.
[4]: 112 At age 13, he left home permanently and landed a job breaking horses, working large herds of cattle, and tending to various other ranch chores for cattlemen Foy and Leonard Proctor in Midland, Texas.
[5] In the early 1980s, Buster and his wife Sheila, lived and worked in Kingsville, Texas, on the King Ranch.
[7] They eventually moved to Rotan, Texas, and raised cattle under the "B Lazy W" brand to supply the retail demand for naturally fed beef.
Buster continued to train cutting horses and managed to expand the ranch to include both leased and owned land comprising over 60,000 acres.
Welch had always planned to establish himself in cattle ranching and was running 800 head on leased land when a drought "focused his options".
On Shoemaker's urging, Welch decided to purchase a six-year-old unbroken stallion named Chickasha Mike for $125 from Ingham.
[12] Chickasha Mike was by American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame sire Billy Clegg.
Boyd, Jr. of Houston, Texas; he rode the horse to win the NCHA World Champion Stallion title.
Welch returned home after the championship ended and decided to open his own cutting horse school, which attracted students from across the US and as far away as Australia.
[17] In 1976, Welch rode Mr San Peppy in senior cutting to win an AQHA World Championship.
Peppy San Badger was bred by Joe Kirk Fulton and owned by the King Ranch.
Peppy San Badger in the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame, his offspring earned more than $21 million, and he's ranked in the top 5 sires.
Welch had won the Futurity on Dry Doc and had also beat his son, Greg, who was riding Mr San Peppy.
[7] In 2010, Welch focused his attention on the rural population decline in the Ashland, Kansas, Public School District.
The shrinking economy in rural towns always seems to force some residents to move away, which causes the number of students to decrease.
[7] He received a National Spur Award on September 7, 2012, in Lubbock, TX for his contributions to ranching and livestock industries.
[8] Welch appeared as himself in the popular television series Yellowstone in the fifth episode of the fourth season, "Under A Blanket Of Red".