Jim Rodriguez, Jr.

Jim Rodriguez, Jr. was born September 9, 1941, in Watsonville, California. He grew up in his father’s roping arena and competed at age 7 as a heeler. Buckshot Sorrells taught him to be a header. He won his first World Championship with Gene Rambo in team roping in 1959 when he was 18 — the youngest team roper to win the world at that time.  He went on to win the World Championship three more times (1960, 1962 and 1965). Rodriguez roped with two different partners, beginning with Gene Rambo for five years and three titles, and then with Ken Luman for 13 years and the fourth title. He won the Average four times (1959, 1960, 1966 and 1973) and finished sixth in the world or better for a total of 17 years. Rodriguez and Luman held the first rodeo schools for team ropers, where they taught mental toughness. As a PRCA director, Rodriguez was instrumental in helping team roping become a major event in the Western states. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame during the inaugural year of 1979. Today, Rodriguez lives in Riverdale, California.