Tom was born in Temple, Bell County, Texas March 30, 1950. He was a cowboy from his earliest memory. Tom’s father Mutt was a professional cowboy in the 1930-50’s and a great uncle Doc Lucas was also professional cowboy. With the strong cowboy linage being a cowboy was assured.
Tom started riding colts and the family milk cows as an early teen. At age of fourteen he entered his first rodeo in the steer riding, winning the event. After that he entered two more steer ridings placing at both. While in high school he entered all of the FFA and high school rodeos in the area. In 1968 he qualified for the FFA and The Texas High School Finals both in the bull riding. In the late 60’s he also began entering amateur rodeos placing and winning bull ridings throughout the state. At the age of eighteen he got his RCA permit. The first RCA rodeo he entered was Mesquite Texas two weekends in a row, where he placed third the first weekend and second the following weekend.
In 1970 Tom began college where joined the NIRA. While in college he placed at nearly every one of the college rodeos in the Southern Region. In 1971 Tom got his RCA card. With his card Tom placed at pro rodeos in Texas, Arkansas, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, Missouri, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Louisiana. Although Tom rode bulls, he placed in the saddle bronc riding at a few college rodeos and several RCA rodeos, once winning the all around at Macon Georgia. Tom received the Proctor Melon Memorial at the Belton 4th July Rodeo 1974.
Tom once won a local jackpot bullriding seven weeks in a row. One of his proudest accomplishments was riding twenty four bulls in a row. With all of rodeos traveling, good times and the bad, the best part of it all was the friends he made for life.
As a family man, with wife Debbie and two daughters Brooke and Lindsey and the responsibilities of everyday life, he still maintains a passion for the sport of rodeo. Tom has remained active in promoting rodeo.
