Bio
Barrel racing star Charmayne James is one of two distinctive athletes honored with the Ty Murray Top Hand Award. Created in 2018, this honor is given annually to individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to enhance the sport of rodeo.
James and her equine counterpart, Gills Bay Boy “Scamper,” burst onto the rodeo scene in 1984 when they won their first Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) World Championship. The duo went on to win ten titles together, all in consecutive fashion from 1984-93. James went on to add one more World Championship in 2002 with Cruiser as her counterpart.
James won the NFR average six times with Scamper – the first coming in 1984 and the final in 1993. The Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer is credited as the first barrel racer to have over $1 million in career earnings. She was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017.
