Hill College Rodeo Team receives hall of fame honor

This November, the Hill College Rodeo Team was inducted into the 2024 Founder’s All Cowboy & Arena Champions Hall of Fame.

What began as a rodeo club in the 1950s, has evolved into a nationally competitive rodeo program. In 1963, the college hosted the first Hill Junior College Buffalo Rodeo for area high school and college students. By 1977, the Hill College Rodeo Program officially became a member of the Southern Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA).

In 1985, the State of Texas deeded Jefferson Davis State Park, located in Hillsboro, to the college providing a permanent home for the rodeo team. To this day the college hosts judging seminars, rodeos, and events for the community to promote the sport of rodeo.

Under the direction of Paul Brown, former athletic director and current rodeo coach, the rodeo team has finished top ten in the nation a total of 19 times (15 for the men’s team and 4 for the women’s), has had 11 individual national champions and 10 individual reserve national champions. To date, the men’s team has won the Southern Region NIRA championships 13 times with nine reserve championship titles. The women’s team has won the Southern Region NIRA championships six times with four reserve championship titles.

“This is a great honor for the Hill College Rodeo program! I want to thank the All Cowboy & Arena Champions organization for this prestige recognition. We have had so many great teams throughout our history that it would be hard to pick any one year as the team that made Hill College what it is today. I am excited to see what the future holds for Hill College Rodeo!” said Brown, who has been the rodeo coach at Hill College for 34 years.

In addition to their accomplishments at Hill College, 40 former athletes have qualified for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). Two have served as pickup men at the NFR. Combined, they have accrued 144 NFR qualifications, including two World Championships. Several have also competed in Professional Bull Riders (PBR) competitions and have qualified for world titles.

The All Cowboys & Arena Champions Hall of Fame was established and founded by O. D. “Dean” Anderson. It is an internet-based Hall of Fame for the purpose of recognizing top individuals in the rodeo and arena related and people who love the Western culture.

For more information on the Hill College Rodeo Team, visit hillcollegeathletics.com or email Paul Brown at pdbrown@hillcollege.edu.