WPRA Barrel Racer

Inducted 2026

Mary Burger was born in Indiana, where horses were commonly used on the family farm and viewed as a tool in her early years. One of six children, Burger, was diagnosed at a young age with Perthes disease in both hips, a condition that causes inflammation and arthritis-like symptoms. The disease rendered her unable to walk and she required crutches. As a result, her father bought her a pony that served as her transportation until she was 10. Burger was able to recover from the disease with treatment, and it’s believed that horseback riding helped her in that process.

She first made a name for herself in the AQHA ranks winning world titles in junior barrel racing and pole bending in 1974 aboard a horse named High Bars Wimpy. Burger would add seven more AQHA World Titles in the barrel racing (1985-86, 1995, 2001-03, 2005) aboard three different horses Showum The Gold, Miss Mergie and Rare Fred before turning her attention to the ProRodeo ranks.

Burger joined the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association in 1985, when she moved to Oklahoma with her husband, Kerry, but just dabbled in the ProRodeo ranks until 2006. That year a horse named Rare Fred carried her to her first WPRA world title. She not only etched her name in the record books for the 2006 world title, but she also became the oldest world champion in the WPRA at the age of 58.

Burger would qualify for the Wrangler NFR two more times (2008-09) with Fred. In 2010, Fred was sold and so began Burger’s search for the next great ride. Enter a buckskin gelding registered Sadiefamouslastwords, known as Mo. Mo took to the ProRodeo circuit like a champ, collecting his first big win at RodeoHouston and followed that up a few months later with the title at the Calgary Stampede. Burger set a then regular season record earnings mark with $190,977 and would become just the third WPRA contestant in Wrangler National Finals Rodeo history to wear the No. 1 back number, joining Charmayne James and Sherry Cervi.

Burger would finish the 2016 season with $277,554 in earnings capturing her second gold buckle at her fourth NFR. Burger, at the young age of 68 years and 4 months in 2016, became the oldest world champion, male or female, a record that stands as of her induction into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

World Championships: 2 (2006, 2016 barrel racing)

Born August 18, 1948 in Decatur, Indiana