Jack Rice was born in Oklahoma City, OK on February 10, 1933, and was adopted when he was 3 weeks old. He was raised in Midland, Texas.
By the time he was 14, in 1947, he was working on the Tommy Lineberry Ranch out of Midland and began riding bucking stock. He won his first bareback bronc riding buckle in Monahans, Texas in 1948 when he was seventeen years old.
After joining the Army in 1950 and being badly wounded in Korea, he was disabled and honorably discharged in 1953. He married Nita Rice and they lived in Burnet and then Austin and he began riding bareback broncs, saddle broncs and bulls again throughout central and south Texas as a member of the PRCA. Additionally he worked for Buck Steiner out of Austin as well, as Leslie Mueller of Yorktown during that time.
Jack was a member of the old SRA and then the RCA during his years of rodeoing. He won four bareback buckles, two saddle bronc buckles as well as three bull riding buckles. Jack also tied with Eddie Boren for a saddle.
In 1957, Jack and Billy Hogan started clowning rodeos as well as riding in them. Even when Jack tore up his knee in 1960 and was out for several months, he came back stronger than ever and lasted another four more years – until 1964. Jack passed away in November 1983.
