Shoulders, Jim

All-Around • Inducted 1979

Born on May 13, 1928, in Tulsa, Okla., Jim Shoulders was a city boy with no livestock background. Shoulders was 14 years old when he saw and promptly entered his first rodeo. His astonishing natural talent was apparent even then – he won $18 in the bareback riding. Shoulders developed his skills by paying his entry fees and getting on bareback horses and bulls and occasionally on saddle broncs, too. Before he graduated from high school he had joined the Cowboys’ Turtle Association. He won $7,000 his first full year as a pro. In 1949, at age 21, he won the first of his 16 world titles, and was almost unbeatable for the next 10 years. A major factor in amassing such a record of championships was his exceptional ability to withstand pain and compete when injured. Following retirement from competition, Shoulders became a ProRodeo stock contractor.

World Championships: 16

All-Around: 1949, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959

Bull Riding: 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959

Bareback Riding: 1950, 1956, 1957, 1958

National Finals Rodeo Average Champion

All-Around: 1959

Bull Riding: 1959

Legend of ProRodeo

2007

Born: May 13, 1928 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Died: June 20, 2007 in Henryetta, Oklahoma

Black Hills Roundup / Belle Fourche, SD
Bull Riding: 1960 (tie)

California Rodeo Salinas / Salinas, CA
Bull Riding: 1949, 1951, 1952, 1957

Cheyenne Frontier Days / Cheyenne, WY
All-Around: 1955, 1956, 1963, 1964
Bareback Riding: 1956, 1963, 1964
Bull Riding: 1955, 1958

Deadwood Days of ’76 Rodeo / Deadwood, SD
All-Around: 1950
Bareback Riding: 1950
Bull Riding: 1954, 1958

Ellensburg Rodeo / Ellensburg, WA
All-Around: 1957
Bull Riding: 1950 (tie), 1957

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo / Fort Worth, TX
Bareback Riding: 1958
Bull Riding: 1950

Grand National Stock Show & Rodeo / San Francisco, CA
All-Around: 1952, 1954
Bareback Riding: 1950, 1958
Bull Riding: 1952, 1955, 1956, 1960

Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo / Guymon, OK
All-Around: 1954
Bull Riding: 1954

Iowa’s Championship Rodeo / Sidney, IA
All-Around: 1957, 1958, 1959
Bareback Riding: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
Bull Riding: 1950, 1952

National Western Stock Show & Rodeo / Denver, CO
Bull Riding: 1949, 1950, 1951, 1955

Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo / Ogden, UT
All-Around: 1954
Bareback Riding: 1952, 1954 (tie), 1956
Bull Riding: 1954

Pendleton Round-Up / Pendleton, OR
All-Around: 1958
Bareback Riding: 1958, 1959
Bull Riding: 1958

Red Bluff Round-Up / Red Bluff, CA
Bareback Riding: 1961 (tie)
Bull Riding: 1955

Redding Rodeo / Redding, CA
Bull Riding: 1955 (tie)

Reno Rodeo / Reno, NV
Bareback Riding: 1950
Bull Riding: 1954

San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo / San Antonio, TX
Bull Riding: 1953, 1956, 1957

Snake River Stampede / Nampa, ID
All-Around: 1955, 1958, 1960
Bareback Riding: 1955, 1958, 1959, 1960
Bull Riding: 1960

West of the Pecos Rodeo / Pecos, TX
Bareback Riding: 1959