Matt Austin

The beginning of Matt’s journey as a Bull Rider, started at the young age of 8 years old. His dad’s friend Troy Ellis had some steers, and Matt’s dad took him over to ride them. With his dad being a bull rider and also riding bucking horses his journey was on a good path.

In 1995, Matt won the Pro Youth Rodeo Associations Pee Wee Bowl. He was a member of Lone Star High School Rodeo Association, he competed in Bull Riding, Team Roping, and Saddle Bronc Riding. Matt qualified for the UPRA Finals in 2001 and won the Bull Riding Championship.

His list of winnings is quite impressive:

  • 2002 Matt won $10,000.00 by riding the Bounty Bull-Dodge Ride of the Night.

  • 2003 PRCA Rookie of year, and Overall Rookie of the year

  • 2004 PRCA Reserve Champion Bull Rider

  • 2004 NIRA Southern Region Champion Bull Rider

  • 2005 PRCA World Champion Bull Rider also NFR Average Champion

  • 2005 Extreme Bull Rider Champion and Average Winner

  • 2005 NIRA College Champion Bull Rider

  • 2005 NIRA College Southern Champion Bull Rider

  • 2005 CBR Champion and Average Winner

  • 2005 in the PRCA he set the record for the most money won in a season with $328,000.00

  • 2006 CBR Champion Bull Rider

  • 3 Time NFR Qualifier

  • In 2021 Matt was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame

  • In 2022 he was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame

Matt lived in Wills Point, Texas and is a graduate of Wills Point High School. Matt resides in Kosse, Texas now with his 3 children: son Rip, daughter River, and son Katch. He loves hanging out with them riding side by sides and fishing for bass. His family also includes his wonderful mom, Denise Means, his dad, Lonnie Austin, his brother, Monte Austin, and 2 sisters, Taylor Austin, and Kayla Jacks. One of Matt’s favorite memories is winning the 2005 PRCA World Champion Bull Riding Title. Being a Godly man is important to him, he loves going to church and spending time in the word. His thinking on life is basically “It’s going to be what it’s going to be.”

Billy Jack Kinney

Billy Jack Kinney was born in Dallas Texas, on August 31, 1973, and was raised in Mesquite Texas. Although riding bulls had never been in the family history, Billy Jack took a liking to this event at the early age of twelve and decided to make history his own. His first rides took place in Mansfield Texas where he practiced on many amateur bulls then quickly gained confidence and began expanding his talent to local buck outs. The more he rode, the more drive he found for the sport. He instantly knew that he wanted to make a career out of riding bulls. “There are not very many people out there that can say they are doing what they love. Most people think it’s a hobby. But when it’s paying the bills, they seem to change their minds,” he said.

Billy Jack Kinney put in many hours of dedication to this dream of his, and slowly made his way to the top. He was fortunate enough to meet many great people along the way. Some became close friends to Billy Jack and began traveling with him. Others shared their talented advice to help as he went further down the road. He started riding professionally and joining associations in 1993. Through many injuries and hardships, he continued to ride em’ rank and steadily made a name for himself. Over the years he competed in associations such as the CRA (Cowboys Rodeo Association), LRCA (Louisiana Rodeo Cowboys Association), CPRA (Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association), CRRA (Cowboys Regional Rodeo Association), UPRA (United Professional Rodeo Association), PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association), and the CBR (Championship Bull Riding).  

In the year of 2004, as the rodeo season came to an end, there was an accident that altered his long and victorious career. From here his talent unfortunately began to decline. Billy Jack had his groin and stomach muscles torn off the pelvic bone during the CBR finals, and although he did recover, it was never to his fullest potential. His professional era wistfully ended a few years later in 2009. As he competed for the last time, concluding his career, Billy Jack rode professionally for a total of sixteen accomplished years. He succeeded in achieving his goals after many belt buckles, TV Appearances, broken bones, and scars. Although he quit riding professionally, he continued his passion by helping young beginners learn the ropes. In 2012, at the age of 39, he had to hang up his rope due to injury. This was an extremely hard decision in his life. He is now known for his past achievements as well as his current ones, where he continues to be a part of the rodeo world on the sidelines.

During 2000, while he continued riding professionally, Billy Jack took on the position of Bull Riding Director for the UPRA. He held this spot for a sum of 12 years, until he moved to Vice President in 2012. Today, Billy Jack is still Vice President on the board. He volunteers his years of knowledge and skill to improve the future of this sport, while also reveling in others success. He has also taken on the position of being a general contractor for his own company. Spending all his time working and living for his wife Danica Kinney, and four children Jessie, Jackson, Brian, and Brianna. Billy Jack and his lovely wife Danica have been married for 10 years, and she has watched him put forth effort into the rodeo world every chance he gets. Jessie is the oldest of the four children. She is eighteen years young, soon to be a college student, and taking after her father in the rodeo industry. Working full time and getting a degree in agriculture, she is also pursuing a career in Professional Barrel Racing. Jackson and Brian are eleven years old. Both young and living out their childhood while interacting in school sports. And lastly, Brianna is the youngest of the four. Eight years old and by no surprise, taking quite the liking to horses as well. She hopes to follow in her big sisters’ footsteps, to somedays Barrel Race with the big dogs.

Billy is only 49 years of age, but if you ask him, he will happily say that he has had a full and fortunate life.

Morris McWhorter

Morris started entering jackpots and rodeos after he married his wife Ruthann in 1984. Ruthann traveled with him most of the time. If she didn’t go with him, he would come home flip on the light and lay down whatever he won on the bed. It could be a saddle, rope bag, breast collar, and one time when he flipped the light on, he threw cash all over the bed.

Morris has won 84 saddles, 300 buckles, and 5 horse trailers. In 1983 he won his first CRA rodeo he ever entered, with Jimmy Childress.  He won his first PRCA rodeo in Woodward, Oklahoma with Boogie Ray. Morris would go to 5 finals a year, Texas Circuit Finals, UPRA, CPRA, TRA, and CRRA. He has made the UPRA Finals 22 times, Average Titles 3 times, Texas Circuit Finals 3 times, CPRA Finals 10 Times, TRA Finals 10 times and the Coors Finals 4 years in Oklahoma. In 1997 he won the North American Rodeo Commission World Champion with Tyler Magness.

Morris has served on the UPRA Board as Team Roping Director for 4 years, and Executive Vice President for 12 years. He enjoys being on the board to be there for the cowboys, to help them and to defend them when needed. He respects the association and all involved.

Morris’s dad, Butch McWhorter, was a Calf Roper, and entered PRCA rodeos as well as local rodeos. Morris and Ruthann have 2 sons Nathan and Matt. Both sons roped in High School and College Rodeos. Nathan is married to Afton; they have one daughter Marlee. Nathan still competes in UPRA and PRCA rodeos. Matt is married to Miranda, they have a daughter Emilee, and a son Brady. Matt still enjoys roping when he has time.

Being a cowboy his whole life, Morris is in an elite group of men. Two of his favorite sayings are, “If you’re going to be dumb you got to be Tuff.” and “we don’t have NO free grazers around here, everyone works.” Morris would like everyone to know “My biggest blessing of all a mother, brother and sister that think I’m Hall of Fame at everything I’ve done.”

J.J. Hampton

J.J. Hampton was born and raised in Stephenville, Erath County to Johnny Wayne and Barbara Hampton. She graduated from Stephenville High School and was an honors graduate from Tarleton State University. She enjoys family time, her real estate profession, and equestrian sports. Naturally competitive, J.J. Hampton began at the tender age of 4 by coercing her father to enter her in a rodeo in near Granbury, Texas, in which her sister was competing. She did not win that rodeo, but began her rodeo career. Blessed with many God-given talents and passionate about competition and self-improvement, J.J. has used those blessings to ultimately compile a tremendous resume of accomplishments. From 1994 to date, J.J. has garnered the following titles:

  • 2 time National Breakaway Finals Rodeo Qualifier

  • 6 time WPRA All Around Cowgirl

  • 4 time WPRA Tie-Down Roping Champion

  • 4 time WPRA Breakaway Roping Champion

  • 4 time WPRA Team Roping Champion Header

  • 9 time UPRA Breakaway Roping Champion

  • 2 time UPRA Stand United Series Champion Breakaway Roper

  • 12 time CPRA Breakaway Roping Champion

  • 2 time Extreme Calf Roping Champion Breakaway Roper

  • 2019 Bex’s Best Breakaway Champion

2021 Reno Rodeo Champion Breakaway Roper

J.J. Has been Inducted into the Cowboy Capital Walk of Fame, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Tarleton State University Rodeo Hall of Fame, and is now a member of the UPRA Hall of Fame.

The Dallas Morning News recognized J.J. Hampton when she was featured as High Profile in their publication on September 10, 2000. On a personal note, J.J. and her husband received another God-given blessing when she delivered a son in April 2009. However, she has continued to compete and succeed even into motherhood.

Wild Horse Rodeo Company

Athens, Texas is where both Stace Smith and Hardy Evans lived and became friends. They put on a Summer Series for 1 month and decided they needed a name for their rodeo company. In 1994 they sat down over pizza and agreed on the name Wild Horse Rodeo Company.

In 1996, Hardy and Stace along with Jerry Hill, Gene Smith, Gerald Smith and several others organized the UPRA.

Hardy and Stace did it all for their rodeos, from contacting the rodeo association, doing the publicity by going to the towns where they were having a rodeo, putting up banners, decorating the town and contacting the newspaper and radio stations. Wild Horse Rodeo Company had rodeos in Minden, Marthaville, and Ringo, Louisiana and in Kilgore, Blue Ridge, Longview, the Sulphur Springs Membership Rodeo, and The State Fair of Texas, plus many others. They won Stock Contractor of The Year 3 times in the UPRA and also won Highest Pay Out Rodeo for the MDA Rodeo.

In 1999 Wild Horse Rodeo Company change the name to Stace Smith Pro Rodeo when they joined the PRCA. They won Stock Contractor of the year 11 years with the PRCA. Tonya Hanigan, Stace’s secretary, was very precise helping with programs and kept Stace and Hardy in line. Hardy’s wife Billie would help sell t-shirts. Wild Horse Rodeo company has hosted quite a few country and western stars, like Ty Ingland, Leroy Purcell, Chris LeDeux, Mark Chestnut, and Loretta Lynn, just to name a few.

When 9/11 happened the rodeo crew were in Abilene, TX traveling to the next rodeo in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the rodeo crew hauling let them know that gas prices were going up quickly from $2.50 and as high as $4.00 a gallon.

On the side of each of their trailers they put the words from a Robert Earl King song, “The road goes on forever and the party never ends.”

Stace is married to Sheila and they have two sons Riggin and Rylan and two daughters Medora Perl and Celeste Cass. Riggin has taken over most of the Rodeo Company’s duties and learning the ropes of running it. 

One of Hardy’s favorite memories is when he forgot to put gas in the generator and he saw Beckie Frazier, picking up trash because she couldn’t sleep, so he helped her. Hardy is retired now and his wife Billie is a realtor and Hardy helps her out. He enjoys being with Billie and all their pets, keeping up with all the cowboys by texting and being on Facebook. One of the things Hardy has done over the years is giving over 100 friends a Lucky Rabbits foot, they are known as the “Rabbit Foot Gang” the elite list is very impressive.

Hopkins County Rodeo Committee

The Hopkins County Rodeo Committee was formed in the fall of 1979. Going from an old wooden outside arena and the cattle panels in the arena when it was built, to the beautiful facility they have now is a great accomplishment. 

  The Central Rodeo Association now known as the United Professional Rodeo Association held their finals at the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center for 42 years. For 41 years running Hopkins County has hosted the Membership Rodeo. The Hopkins County Rodeo Committee has been voted 4 times Small Rodeo of the Year. This year they will be hosting a UPRA Membership Rodeo in November and they will continue to have the Handicapable Rodeo to allow students in need to have their own unique rodeo experience.

  Oscar Aguilar leads the 16-member committee. Oscar has been on the committee for over 30 years, and has been president for 25 years.

   They have been successful with the Rodeo Finals which has been one of the biggest events of the year in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Other events that have been held at the Civic Center are, High School Rodeos, Junior High School Rodeos, Cowboy Church Rodeos, Collegiate Rodeos, Team Ropings, Bull Riding, Cutting Horse Shows and Horse Shows. All of these events are helping to keep our strong western heritage alive.

   The future is Bright! The committee is enjoying seeing their hard work pay off each year, with not just contestants that come to compete but also all the spectators that come to watch.

   Oscar would like everyone to know that they are honored to be a part of the UPRA, making new friends, having a great rodeo family and seeing contestants with their families.

  The Hopkins County Rodeo Committee is very honored to be inducted into the UPRA Hall of Fame Class of 2022.

  • State Fair of Texas

  • Cinch Jeans and Shirts

  • Grow it.

  • Circle E Western Store

  • Clarion Pointe Sulphur Springs

  • City National Bank Sulphur Springs

  • Alliance Bank Sulphur Springs