Charmayne James facts for kids
James in October 2009
|
|
| Birth name | Charmayne James |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Rodeo competitor |
| Discipline | Barrel racing |
| Born | June 23, 1970 Boerne, Texas |
| Major wins/Championships | 11 WPRA barrel racing world championships 7 NFR Average Titles |
| Lifetime achievements | Career earnings $1,896,568 through 2002 |
| Honors | |
| 1984 WPRA Rookie of the Year 2017 ProRodeo Hall of Fame |
|
| Significant horses | |
|
|
Charmayne James (born June 23, 1970) is an American former professional rodeo cowgirl. She was a champion in barrel racing, a fast-paced rodeo event. Charmayne won an amazing 11 world championships in barrel racing. This is more than anyone else in history!
She won ten championships in a row from 1984 to 1993. Then, she won her final one in 2002. Charmayne also competed in the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) 19 times. She won the NFR barrel racing title seven times.
Her most famous horse was Gills Bay Boy, known as Scamper. She won most of her titles with him. Scamper retired in 1993 after their tenth world championship. Charmayne herself retired from barrel racing in 2002.
Scamper was honored in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1996. Charmayne was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 1992. She also joined the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017. This was a special moment. It was the first time barrel racers were included in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Riding
Charmayne James was born on June 23, 1970, in Boerne, Texas. She grew up in Clayton, New Mexico. Charmayne started riding horses when she was just three years old. By age six, she was already competing in barrel racing. She always knew that barrel racing was what she wanted to do.
She began her rodeo journey by joining the Rabbit Ear 4-H Club. For a long time, barrel racing was the only event women competed in at Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) events. It is still one of the most popular rodeo events.
As a young girl, Charmayne rode a horse named Bardo. They competed in amateur rodeos for about two years. Sadly, Bardo got a serious leg injury and had to be put down. Charmayne was very sad because Bardo was her best friend.
Finding a new horse was hard. But she found Gills Bay Boy, a gelding (a male horse that cannot reproduce). Her father bought him for $1,100 to help with cattle. At first, the horse was a bit difficult. But Charmayne trained him for barrel racing. He became famous as Scamper. His name came from her father. He said, "He sure wants to scamper around those barrels."
Amazing ProRodeo Career
By the end of 1983, Charmayne and Scamper had competed for about three years. They moved up to the professional circuit. Charmayne earned her permit for the WPRA. This means she met the requirements to become a professional barrel racer.
In 1984, they started their first professional season. Charmayne won over $53,000. She also won two big titles. She became the 1984 WPRA World Champion Barrel Racer. She also won the NFR Barrel Racing Average Champion title. She was named the 1984 WPRA Rookie of the Year too.
In 1985, they won their second WPRA world championship. They earned over $93,000. In 1986, they won their third world title and the NFR Average. They earned over $151,000. This was the highest earnings ever in a single rodeo event season!
In 1987, they won their fourth world championship. Charmayne also made history. She was the first woman to wear the No. 1 back number at the National Finals Rodeo. This number shows a contestant's high ranking in earnings. In 1988, they won their fifth world championship. They earned over $130,000. This was more money than any other professional rodeo competitor that year.
In 1989, Scamper got a cut on his hoof at the NFR. Charmayne had to change his training. This made them lose a few rounds. But they still won the world championship. In 1993, Charmayne wanted to win her tenth world title. She felt a lot of pressure. She wanted Scamper to retire as an undefeated champion. They won both the 1993 NFR and WPRA world championship titles. This secured Scamper's place in history.
In 1992, Charmayne was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. This honored her many wins and her high earnings.
Charmayne returned to barrel racing in 1992 with a new horse. His name was Cruising on Six, nicknamed Cruiser. She won her 11th WPRA World Barrel Racing Championship with him. This showed everyone her amazing talent.
The Bridleless Win
In 1985, Charmayne and Scamper were competing at the NFR. They had already won five rounds. It was Friday the 13th during the seventh round. As they were racing, Scamper's bridle (the part of the tack that goes on a horse's head) fell off!
Scamper caught his bridle on the gate. This caused the screws holding the bit and reins to come loose. After the first barrel, the headstall (part of the bridle) fell off. It was hanging from his mouth. Charmayne tried to keep the bit in his mouth. But she had to let go as they approached the third barrel.
Scamper spit the bit out. The bridle dropped to his chest. But he was focused on the finish line and kept running. Charmayne only had one rein around his neck to guide him. They crossed the finish line in 14.4 seconds. They won the round and the 1985 World Barrel Racing Championship! It was an incredible moment.
Retirement and Later Life
Charmayne retired Scamper in 1993. He still raced occasionally. Scamper passed away on July 4, 2012, at 35 years old. He received the 1992 AQHA Silver Spur Award. This award is like the "Academy Award" for horses.
Charmayne announced her retirement from competition in 2003. She had won a record 11 WPRA World Championships. After retiring, she started teaching barrel racing clinics. She also trained horses for other sports like cutting and team roping.
On December 6, 2004, Charmayne married Tony Garritano. He was her long-time friend and business manager. They have two sons together. When she is not traveling for clinics, Charmayne spends time at home in Boerne, Texas. She enjoys raising her sons and working with young horses.
Charmayne came out of retirement for special events. She competed in RFD-TV's The American. This event is called the "world's richest one-day rodeo." It started in 2014 and is held every February. In 2016, she also competed in the Elite Rodeo Athletes (ERA) Premier Tour.
Clayton, Scamper's Clone
Since Scamper could not have offspring naturally, Charmayne looked into cloning. She chose ViaGen, a company in Austin, Texas. They performed the cloning procedure for $150,000. In 2006, a colt was born. He was named Clayton. Clayton is an exact genetic match to Scamper.
Charmayne used a surrogate mare to carry the cloned embryo. When Clayton was two years old, Charmayne started him as a breeding stallion. She offered his services to the public for a fee of $4,000. Clayton has sired healthy offspring. Many of them have inherited Scamper's amazing genetics.
It's important to know that the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) does not register cloned horses. However, you don't need breed registration to compete in barrel racing or other rodeo events.
Career Highlights
The NFR lasts for 10 days. At the end of the NFR, there are two barrel racing champions. The World Champion earns the most money during the season and the finals. The Average Champion wins the NFR by having the best total time. Sometimes, the same person can be both champions.
Charmayne James had incredible earnings throughout her career. By 2002, her career earnings were over $1.8 million. She was the leading money earner in professional rodeo in 1986. In 1990, Charmayne crossed the million-dollar milestone in her career earnings.
Honors and Awards
Charmayne James has received many honors for her amazing career:
- 1986 Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame, Amarillo, Texas
- 1988 Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame
- 1992 National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
- 1996 "Scamper" inducted into ProRodeo Hall of Fame
- 1999 St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame
- 2002 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame
- 2011 Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame
- 2016 New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame
- 2017 ProRodeo Hall of Fame
- 2024 RodeoHouston Hall of Fame
