Fred Whitfield

Fred Whitfield (born August 5, 1967) is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in tie-down roping. He won eight Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world championships and three National Finals Rodeo (NFR) aggregate titles. Seven of those titles were tie-down roping world championships and one was the all-around world championship. He is one of a few African-American professional rodeo cowboys and by far the most successful.

Early life Fred Whitfield was born in Hockley, Texas, on August 5, 1967, to Willie and Marie Whitfield. He was raised in Cypress, Texas, just north of Houston, in a violent, extremely poor home. His mother bore five children, but two were placed for adoption because she could not afford to take care of them.

Marie Whitfield supported the family by cleaning the house of their white neighbors, Don and Joanne Moffitt. Their son Roy was seven years older than Whitfield. Despite the age difference, Roy Moffitt took Whitfield under his wing. They often practiced on dogs, chickens, cats, and, occasionally, Whitfield's younger sister. 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. In the ninth round, Whitfield became the second of three men to break the single-run world record. Blair Burk's run lasted only 7 seconds, beating the previous 7.1 second record. Whitfield competed minutes later and finished in 6.9 seconds. His record lasted only another few minutes, before Jeff Chapman finished a tenth of a second faster.

Whitfield won the all-around world championship in 1999.

He won the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for the first time in 2000.

In 2004, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Whitfield won the Calgary Stampede in 2007.

As of 2013, Whitfield had earned more prize money in calf roping than any previous competitor. In July 2012, his combined earnings surpassed $3 million.

Whitfield began cutting down on his touring schedule, preferring to spend more time at home, where he trained other athletes. Through June 2015, he had competed in only 25 rodeos, winning about $10,000. 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. There, he doubled his yearly earnings.

In 2015, a group of elite cowboys including Whitfield, disenchanted with the PRCA, formed the Elite Rodeo Athletes (ERA). This for-profit organization was collectively owned by its competitors. They planned to compete against each other at several rodeos around the country, culminating in a world championship at the end of their season.

At the 2016 Calgary Stampede, Whitfield finished in second place, earning $25,000.

Honors 2000 Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 2003 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame 2004 ProRodeo Hall of Fame 2005 Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame 2012 National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame 2012 St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame

Other Whitfield married Cassie, in 2000. They have two daughters. The film was released in 2020.