PUEBLO, Colo. – The PBR is saddened to learn of the passing of the legendary Sharon Shoulders, whose tireless support helped her husband bring bull riding to millions while her leadership and generous contributions to community causes also improved the lives of countless others.  

Shoulders was born on December 30, 1929, in Bell, California, and she eventually moved to Oklahoma in 1941. Six years later, Sharon married 16-time PRCA World Champion Jim Shoulders, and the two settled in Henryetta, Oklahoma, becoming two of the most influential people in the western industry.

“Miss Sharon was the matriarch of the PBR, and the entire Western industry owes her a great debt of gratitude,” said PBR Commissioner and CEO Sean Gleason. “She was such an inspiration and great counsel over the years.  She gave me a painting of Jim many years ago, and it hangs in my office where he has looked over my shoulder and guided me through many tough decisions ever since.

“Sharon was not only the inspiration for the award named in her honor, she was the definition of everything it stands for. She was and still is the First Lady of bull riding.”

Sharon was a pure and humble champion in her own right. She was often the one at home rolling up her sleeves and putting on her cowboy boots to keep the ranch going while also prioritizing raising the couple’s four kids (Jamie, Marvin Paul, Jana and Marcie), as Jim was out on the rodeo trail creating history.

She was selfless and caring, often going out of her way to help rodeo competitors and anyone else she could.

The PBR created the Sharon Shoulders Award in 2010 to recognize the great women of professional bull riding; those whose work, partnership and faith have been as integral to the sport as the athletes themselves.

Sharon Shoulders Award recipients provide an unwavering support system to help their husbands pursue their dreams. They are fiercely loyal. They inspire their husbands by example and motivate and challenge them to achieve their goals. They keep them grounded in reality.

Sharon worked side-by-side with the PBR in selecting each of her namesake award winners, and she made sure to make a personal connection with every one of them. Past winners of the Sharon Shoulders Award include Tiffany Davis, Leanne Lambert, Jackie Dunn, Stacey Custer, Flavia Moraes, Robyn Gaffney, LeAnn Hart, Julie Carrillo, Jill McBride and Kylie Shivers.

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Tiffany Davis shared on Facebook Sunday how much of an inspiration and impact Shoulders had on her life.

“One might say I became a 1950s ‘Pioneer Ranch Woman’ because I learned the hard way,” Shoulders told The Oklahoman in 2015. “I ran the ranch while Jim rodeoed to pay for it. I learned to saddle and ride to check and gather cattle along with checking fences. I tended a garden previously planted, learned to can vegetables, killed and cleaned chickens for the freezer and drove a tractor to harrow the field.”

Shoulders’ self-described first rodeo experience came during the Madison Square Garden Rodeo Parade in 1947. Through the years, Sharon became further involved in the Western industry in various ways. She became a rodeo timer and secretary, and she helped produce rodeo events. Sharon judged many PRCA rodeo queen competitions, including at the National High School Rodeo Finals, and she always made sure to go out of her way to help anyone in a time of need.

Shoulders’ concern for others extended far beyond the rodeo arena. She volunteered and worked with various charitable organizations, both locally and nationally. To name a few, she served on the board of directors of the Oklahoma Heritage Association and of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Historical Society. She was also a member of the H.A.N.D.S (Helping Another Needy Diva Survive) organization, a charitable organization of rodeo women who help rodeo families anonymously with expenses during injuries, illnesses and hard times.

Sharon Shoulders, who passed at 91, was truly a hero and a legend in the Western sports community and beyond. The PBR extends its condolences to Shoulders’ family, friends and fans.

For more on memorial service information, click here.