In 1908, he left St. Louis and adopted a new persona, changing his name (and usually was called Tex Austin) and saying that he was raised on a cattle ranch in Victoria, Texas.

[5] In the 1920s, Austin put together rodeos in the Chicago Stadium, New York's Madison Square Garden (1922), and in Hollywood.

[15] Tex Austin returned to London with his rodeo in 1934 where cowboys and cowgirls performed in the White City[16] stadium before the king and queen.

Bronc riders including Herman Linder, Frank Sharp, Weldon Bascom,[17] Clark Lund[17] and Pete Knight rode in the 1934 London rodeo.

[18] "Suicide" Ted Elder was a contestant in the trick riding competition and also a contract performer jumping his horses over on automobile.

After losing the ranch in the Great Depression, Austin retired to Santa Fe with his wife Mary Lou McGuire of Albuquerque.