Harry Tompkins’ competitive rodeo records rank high in sports history. Harry, also known as “Uppy”, a nickname he earned because of his birth site in upstate New York stared his rodeo career in 1946. Harry accumulated eight World Championships over a fourteen-year span from 1948 through 1962. Harry won two All-round Championships, 1952 and 1960, one Bareback Bronc Championship, 152, five World Championship Bull Rider, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952 and 1960 and missing the top five winners list only twice, due to injury.
During Tompkins colorful career he was voted, by his fellow contestants, the “Honorable Sportsmanship Award”, an honor he is very proud of, as there were so few given. Another honor bestowed on Harry was in 1988 in Las Vegas where was voted “Man of the Year” by his cowboy buddies and friends.
Harry has done much for rodeo other than just being a contestant. Harry designed, built and donated rodeo the chutes that all major rodeos use today. Some once asked him why he did not get a patent on his chutes, he quickly answered, “I didn’t do this for money, I did it to make rodeo safer for the cowboys”. That very statement describes the real Harry Tompkins. Not only has Harry won all the major rodeos at one time or another, but he has also judged them all. Harry also served for twelve years on the Rodeo Historical Board.
Tompkins says, “I hope that my major accomplishments in the rodeo business is to emerge through it all with the reputation of being honest, fair, and respected for what I did”. Harry is a man of few words, but deep pride, honesty and sincerity are a mark of his character. “I have had lots of fun, and made many friends in the rodeo business. I’m a very lucky man”.
