Inductees are Bradley Harter, Kim Todd Hodge and Tommy Houston.
The annual event, which benefits Tarleton Rodeo’s scholarship fund, begins at 6 p.m. with a reception and preview mixer, followed by the induction ceremony, dinner and live auction.
Admission to the event is $50 per person and includes dinner. Tickets are available for purchase through 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, by contacting the Office of Rodeo Activities at 254-968-9344 or 254-968-9187.
About this year’s Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees:
Bradley Harter
Bradley Harter grew up in Aledo, Texas, where he graduated high school in 2002. After high school, he attended Wharton County Junior College for two years before transferring to Tarleton. In his four years of eligibility with the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA), he qualified to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) four times earning Reserve Saddle Bronc Champion honors in 2003. He also qualified to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 2005, 2006 and 2008 while obtaining his business degree from Tarleton. With a total of 10 NFR qualifications under his belt, Harter resides in Loranger, La., with his wife and two children. He continues to focus on rodeo and lives for the opportunity to give back to the sport, teaching several riding clinics each year with children of all ages.
Kim Todd Hodge
Kim Todd Hodge grew up in Colorado where she began her rodeo career competing in Little Britches and high school rodeos. She qualified for the Colorado National High School Rodeo Team all four years of her high school career and was offered numerous full-ride college rodeo scholarships before deciding to go south to the NIRA Southwest Region. Hodge competed her first two years in the NIRA at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, N.M., and then transferred to Tarleton as a junior. She competed in barrel racing, goat tying, breakaway roping and team roping. In 1986, Hodge won the All-Around at Eastern New Mexico College Rodeo and at the Sul Ross University Rodeo, going on to win the Southwest Region All-Around Cowgirl title which qualified her to compete at the CNFR in Bozeman, Mont., After graduating from Tarleton in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree, she married and two years later became mother of twin daughters. Hodge has used her degree and experience at Tarleton to build a successful entrepreneurial business helping people with health and wellness, interior design and hospitality events.
Tommy Houston
Tommy Houston, current operator and manager of the Houston Ranch in Bluff Dale, Texas, is no stranger to the equine community or Tarleton State University. Although Houston accepted a rodeo scholarship at Texas Tech, he traveled with members of the Tarleton Rodeo team, including Tooter Waites, Randy Majors, Charles Bitters and Bobby Hungate. Taking honors such as the All- Around hand at the West Texas State University rodeo in 1967 and twice winning the Texas Tech calf roping and the Tarleton Rodeo calf roping in 1967, he was no stranger to the winner’s circle. He went on to win the American Quarter Horse Association’s World Calf Roping Title in 1981. Houston is known for his graciousness, providing financial support to help numerous young people achieve their dream of a college education. In return, the students worked off their debt on the ranch in the summers and covering bucking stock pens and additional stalls at the Tarleton practice arena.
To date, Tarleton has inducted 34 former rodeo team members, coaches and program supporters into the university’s Rodeo Hall of Fame.
Tarleton’s renowned rodeo program is known for having some of the toughest and most talented student competitors among National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association members. To celebrate their achievements during the past 71 years, the Rodeo Hall of Fame was established in 2012 to recognize some of the cowboys and cowgirls who have brought notoriety to the sport and university.
Competing for the purple and white under the motto, “A Winning Tradition,” Tarleton’s rodeo teams have won seven national championship titles, 27 individual national championships and numerous NIRA Southwest Region titles since the program was established in 1947.
In 2017-18, Tarleton boasted one of the largest collegiate rodeo teams in the nation with 105 card-holding student members.
To nominate individuals for future inclusion into the Tarleton Rodeo Hall of Fame, visit www.tarleton.edu/rodeo/hall-of-fame.html.
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