story by Sharon Adams
Jack Burkholder set a record in college rodeo that won’t be broken! Jack was the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Champion Tie-Down Roper four times! They called it calf roping back then and Jack won the title in 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1960. Jack, who passed away in 2004, was a student at Texas A&I, now Texas A&M, in Kingsville, Texas.
Yesterday a gentleman from Texas wanted some information about students who attended Texas A&I in Kingsville and took part in college rodeo. Earlier, Don Reichert, two-time college champion bull rider, was curious about any college rodeo champions who won multiple championships. The NIRA Alumni don’t just raise money for scholarships. We also try to preserve the history of college rodeo and serve as a resource for people who are interested in the past and future of a unique college sport. So, expect to see some of the records set by past college contestants on this page in the future. And send us any questions and we will try to answer.
