Fred Whitfield (born August 5, 1967) [1] is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in tie-down roping.
He was raised in Cypress, Texas, just north of Houston, in a violent, extremely poor home.
[4] Marie Whitfield supported the family by cleaning the house of their white neighbors, Don and Joanne Moffitt.
[4][5] The Moffitt family allowed Whitfield to use their horses and equipment to compete in youth rodeos, and often paid his entry fees.
[6] Each dollar of prize money earned at PRCA-sanctioned events is counted towards qualification in the annual National Finals Rodeo (NFR).
[6] In his rookie year, Whitfield was one of the top-15 highest earners in calf roping, making him the second first-year competitor to ever qualify for the NFR.
[5] In 1989, Whitfield was jailed overnight for brawling with a black man at a bar near a Bill Pickett rodeo in California.
[7] In the ninth round, Whitfield became the second of three men to break the single-run world record.
[12] After suffering an injury during the 2007 season, Whitfield missed making the NFR for the first time in his career.
[10] A young black Texas cowboy, Cory Solomon, joined the PRCA as a tie-down roper in 2009.
[5] In 2011, Whitfield won the year-end tie-down roping championship for the semi-professional Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA).
[10] Whitfield began cutting down on his touring schedule, preferring to spend more time at home, where he trains other athletes.
Although he was not high in the PRCA standings, his reputation was enough to get him invited to some of the major non-PRCA rodeos, including the Calgary Stampede.
They planned to compete against each other at several rodeos around the country, culminating in a world championship at the end of their season.
[14][4] The PRCA promptly changed their bylaws to ban cowboys with financial interest in any other rodeo association, beginning with the 2016 season.
[4] The Whitfields purchased a ranch in Hockley, Texas, near Houston, where Fred trained and sold horses for several years.
[4] Just before retiring from rodeo, he sold the ranch and his horses, and took a job in sales for a gas and oil company.
[16] In 2013, Whitfield published his autobiography, Gold Buckles Don't Lie, written in conjunction with Terri Powers.