Jim Shoulders
Encyclopedia
James A. Shoulders, known as Jim Shoulders (May 13, 1928 – June 20, 2007), is known as the "Babe Ruth of Rodeo".
As a rider, in his first full professional year he made $7,000; the most money he earned in a year from rodeo was $50,000, a considerable amount of money at the time.
"If there ever was a man that had no pain quotient, it was him," said Clem Rogers McSpadden
, a rodeo announcer and former Democratic
U.S. representative from Oklahoma
. "Heck, he didn't even wear a mouthpiece. I saw his knee swell up to the size of a cantaloupe, and he'd go spur his horse and win. That was probably the thing that other cowboys recognized. They'll be talking about him for generations to come," McSpadden added.
Over his career, Shoulders' injuries included two broken arms, broken collar bones three times, a broken pelvis twice, a broken hand, and innumerable concussions and broken ribs.
in Okmulgee County
, Oklahoma.
In 1958, Jim, along with Neal Gay, D.J.Gaudin, Harry Tompkins, Ira Akers, and Bob Grant started the Mesquite Championship Rodeo
in Mesquite
, near Dallas
, Texas
.
After his retirement from the rodeo circuit in 1970, he raised livestock, most notably the "unridable" bucking bull Tornado, which bested 200 consecutive riders over a 14-year span. Finally, in the 1967 National Finals, 46-year-old Oklahoman Warren G. "Freckles" Brown broke the bull's string.
Shoulders was a spokesman for Miller Lite
beer. He also helped to design a best-selling pair of Wrangler jeans and had an endorsement deal with Justin Boots
. He also ran a well-respected rough stock rodeo school on his Henryetta ranch.
and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City
. He is the only professional cowboy honored at Madison Square Garden
in New York City
. He was inducted in 2003 in the Texas Trail Hall of Fame in Fort Worth
.
, Oklahoma, Marvin P. Shoulders of Henryetta, Jana Shoulders of Tulsa
, and Marcie Shoulders of Tonkawa
, Oklahoma.
Shoulders died in 2007 from heart disease.
Rodeo career
Shoulders entered—and won—his first rodeo when he was just fourteen. Over his career, he won an unprecedented sixteen championships in the 1940s-50's, including an astonishing five all-around Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association championships, seven bull riding championships, and four bareback riding crowns. Shoulders was modest about his success, saying "bull riding is just putting one leg on each side of a bull and making an ugly face for eight seconds."As a rider, in his first full professional year he made $7,000; the most money he earned in a year from rodeo was $50,000, a considerable amount of money at the time.
"If there ever was a man that had no pain quotient, it was him," said Clem Rogers McSpadden
Clem McSpadden
Clem Rogers McSpadden was a Democratic politician and a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District who served from 1973 to 1975. He was also the grandnephew of Oklahoma comedian and actor Will Rogers....
, a rodeo announcer and former Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
U.S. representative from Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. "Heck, he didn't even wear a mouthpiece. I saw his knee swell up to the size of a cantaloupe, and he'd go spur his horse and win. That was probably the thing that other cowboys recognized. They'll be talking about him for generations to come," McSpadden added.
Over his career, Shoulders' injuries included two broken arms, broken collar bones three times, a broken pelvis twice, a broken hand, and innumerable concussions and broken ribs.
Business ventures
In 1949, at the age of twenty-one, he won the first of his world titles. He used his winnings to buy a 400 acres (1.6 km²) ranch near HenryettaHenryetta, Oklahoma
Henryetta is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,096 at the 2000 census.Henryetta is notable as the high school hometown of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman...
in Okmulgee County
Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
Okmulgee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 39,685. Its county seat is Okmulgee.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,819 km²...
, Oklahoma.
In 1958, Jim, along with Neal Gay, D.J.Gaudin, Harry Tompkins, Ira Akers, and Bob Grant started the Mesquite Championship Rodeo
Mesquite Championship Rodeo
The Mesquite Championship Rodeo is a rodeo located in Mesquite, Texas that operates during rodeo season .Founded in 1958 by Neal Gay as a permanent rodeo , the rodeo struggled in the early years, but grew as the city of Mesquite grew...
in Mesquite
Mesquite, Texas
Mesquite is a city located within the Dallas/Ft.Worth area of Texas. As of the 2010 US Census, the population was 139,824.-History:The city was founded May 22, 1873, by a Texas & Pacific Railway engineer who purchased land along the Texas & Pacific line outside of Dallas...
, near Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
After his retirement from the rodeo circuit in 1970, he raised livestock, most notably the "unridable" bucking bull Tornado, which bested 200 consecutive riders over a 14-year span. Finally, in the 1967 National Finals, 46-year-old Oklahoman Warren G. "Freckles" Brown broke the bull's string.
Shoulders was a spokesman for Miller Lite
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
beer. He also helped to design a best-selling pair of Wrangler jeans and had an endorsement deal with Justin Boots
Justin Boots
Justin Boots are a brand of cowboy boots, owned by the Justin Brands company, which is in turn a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. Justin Brands additionally owns brands Nocona, Tony Lama, and recently Lucchese Boots Company...
. He also ran a well-respected rough stock rodeo school on his Henryetta ranch.
Honors
Shoulders is lifetime member of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. He is the only professional cowboy honored at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was inducted in 2003 in the Texas Trail Hall of Fame in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
.
Personal life
Jim and his wife, Sharon, married in 1947. They had four children: Jamie Doak of BixbyBixby, Oklahoma
Bixby is a city in Tulsa and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and is a suburb of Tulsa. The population was 13,336 at the 2000 census and 20,884 in the 2010 census. It is nicknamed "The Garden Spot of Oklahoma" for its rich agrarian heritage...
, Oklahoma, Marvin P. Shoulders of Henryetta, Jana Shoulders of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, and Marcie Shoulders of Tonkawa
Tonkawa, Oklahoma
Tonkawa is a city in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 3,299 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Oklahoma.
Shoulders died in 2007 from heart disease.