Harry Tompkins

Bull Riding • Inducted 1979

In the span of 12 years, Harry Tompkins won five bull riding world titles, as well as one in bareback riding and two in the all around. According to various accounts, Tompkins needed the 12-year span because he hit a dry spell from 1952-60 where world championships were concerned, although he made a good living from rodeo during that time. Tompkins was born Oct. 5, 1927, in Furnace Woods, N.Y., as well as raised in the up-state New York town.  He got his start in professional rodeo at Madison Square Garden. One of the original hard-chargers in professional rodeo, he flew his own plane and made 75 or more rodeos on an average per year, which was a grueling schedule at that time. He won his first championship at 21 years of age.

World Championships: 8

All-Around: 1952, 1960

Bull Riding: 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1960

Bareback Riding: 1952

Born: October 5, 1927 in Furnace Woods, New York
Died: June 29, 2018 in Stephenville, Texas

California Rodeo Salinas / Salinas, CA
All-Around: 1955
Bareback Riding: 1950, 1953, 1955
Bull Riding: 1955, 1960

Cheyenne Frontier Days / Cheyenne, WY
Bull Riding: 1949

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo / Fort Worth, TX
All-Around: 1954, 1957, 1960, 1962
Bareback Riding: 1952, 1954, 1957, 1965
Bull Riding: 1951, 1960

Grand National Stock Show & Rodeo / San Francisco, CA
All-Around: 1961
Bareback Riding: 1957

Iowa’s Championship Rodeo / Sidney, IA
All-Around: 1955, 1956
Bull Riding: 1955, 1956, 1958

La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Rodeo / Tucson, AZ
Bull Riding: 1951, 1955, 1956

National Western Stock Show & Rodeo / Denver, CO
Bull Riding: 1948, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1967

Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo / Ogden, UT
All-Around: 1955, 1960
Bareback Riding: 1955
Bull Riding: 1955, 1960

Reno Rodeo / Reno, NV
All-Around: 1958
Bareback Riding: 1958
Bull Riding: 1952, 1958

San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo / San Antonio, TX
Bareback Riding: 1951

Snake River Stampede / Nampa, ID
All-Around: 1957
Bull Riding: 1958

West of the Pecos Rodeo / Pecos, TX
Bareback Riding: 1963