Jim Rodriguez Jr.

Team Roping • Inducted 1979

Jim Rodriguez grew up in a roping arena owned by his father, applied his early training and individual skills to team roping and won four world championships. Rodriguez, born Sept. 9, 1941, in Watsonville, Calif., was the youngest man to win a team roping title, taking his first championship at age 18 in 1959. Setting records does not stop with that achievement. He finished in the Top 15 for 19 consecutive years, thereby qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo, records that are sure to stand for many years. Around the home arena, Rodriguez met the world’s finest team ropers. He received coaching from several of them, but upon teaming with all-time great Gene Rambo, the perfect combination resulted in two championships in a row.

World Championships: 4

Team Roping: 1959, 1960, 1962, 1965

National Finals Rodeo Average Champion

Team Roping: 1959, 1960, 1966, 1973

Born: September 9, 1941 in Watsonville, California

California Rodeo Salinas / Salinas, CA
All-Around: 1958 (tie), 1960 (tie), 1962, 1968, 1971
Team Roping: 1957, 1958, 1960, 1962
Tie-Down Roping: 1968

Clovis Rodeo / Clovis, CA
All-Around: 1961
Team Roping: 1959, 1961, 1964, 1970

La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Rodeo / Tucson, AZ
Team Roping: 1981

National Western Stock Show & Rodeo / Denver, CO
Team Roping: 1975, 1976

Red Bluff Round-Up / Red Bluff, CA
All-Around: 1960, 1967
Team Roping: 1967, 1970, 1973

Redding Rodeo / Redding, CA
Tie-Down Roping: 1961, 1966

Reno Rodeo / Reno, NV
All-Around: 1965
Team Roping: 1958, 1965, 1968 (tie)

Rowell Ranch Rodeo / Hayward, CA
Team Roping: 1961

World’s Oldest Rodeo Prescott Frontier Days / Prescott, AZ
Team Roping: 1972