The 2021 Tarleton Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees are known for a long line of firsts, both as individual competitors and as members of the university team, the university said in announcing their selection.
Barrel racer Sue Majors, roper Kirby Eppert and bareback bronc riders Perry Lee and Richmond Champion will be presented during the April 24 performance of the season-ending Tarleton Stampede Rodeo in Stephenville. The quartet will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during ceremonies in November.
The Rodeo Hall of Fame honors individuals and teams who have made an outstanding contribution to Tarleton State University rodeo. Induction reflects the university’s appreciation of rodeo achievements and commitment to excellence in a competitive environment.
Majors was the first woman to make the College National Finals Rodeo while representing Tarleton State College, qualifying in 1965 and again in 1966.
Eppert, winner of the 2007 CNFR All-Around Cowgirl title, qualified multiple times in both breakaway roping and goat tying. As a pro, she qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 2020, the first year the event included breakaway roping.
Lee was the first bareback rider to win a national championship for Tarleton, taking the CNFR event in 1973.
Champion was the first bareback rider to earn $1 million for a single ride, claiming that distinction while still a Tarleton student. He has qualified for the NFR six times and was the first-ever American Rodeo winner in 2014.