Leslie Chapman Harrison grew up on horseback and around horses, so her involvement in rodeo came naturally. Born December 18, 1951, in San Antonio, Harrison always had a way with horses and spent as much time on and around horses as possible. Harrison started out in junior rodeos competing in the American Junior Rodeo Association. She won the girls all-around championship in the AJRA and also won several match ropings against the boys. She graduated to the college rodeo circuit where she attended Hardin Simmons University and helped her team qualify for the College National Finals.
After college, Harrison continued her winning ways. Over the years, she competed and won in the West Texas Barrel Racers Association, the National Barrel Horse Association, and the Girls Rodeo Association. Major wins for Harrison have included the Texas Cowboy Reunion Pioneer barrel race, and back-to-back championships at the AHA’s Bayer Select World Championship Show.
Once asked what she had accomplished in her career, Harrison replied, “Nothing, but there were some nice horses that sure deserved credit.” One of those horses is BeBe, a horse that lived to the ripe old age of 45 and is now buried by the family barn. Over the years, BeBe helped the entire family win saddles and buckles. Harrison won the pole bending at the AJRA Finals on BeBe, and 15 years later, her daughter placed fourth in the AJRA pole bending. BeBe also helped both mother and daughter win all-around titles at the West Texas Fair ten years apart.
An accomplished horse trainer, Harrison trained and qualified several horses for the American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show. Displaying her versatility with horses, Harrison has trained winners in barrel racing, poles, calf roping, team roping, reining, English, and goat tying.
