Rex Beck was born on September 2, 1925, and grew up on the Beck Ranch southwest of Valera, Texas, in Coleman County. Not only was he a good ranch cowboy, but he also grew up to be one of the truly great calf ropers of his era, the late 1940s through the early 1960s. Rex won his first calf roping at the age of 13 at Santa Anna, Texas. He went on to win money in his event at most of the major RCA rodeos in the United States, including Madison Square Garden in New York, Cheyenne, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Monte Vista, San Antonio, Houston, Waco, Del Rio, Boston, and Sidney, Iowa. Rex was second in the average at San Antonio two straight years, 1950 and 1951. He has won the average at Coleman, Texas, Lake Charles, Louisiana, as well as many other rodeos.
A great match roper, Rex had matches with Dan Taylor, Tom Powers, Sonny Edwards, Toots Mansfield, Buff Douthitt, George Epperson, and Doyle Riley. Rex won the match ropings with every aforementioned opponent except Toots Mansfield. In the match with Toots, his horse stepped over the rope and ran off, causing Rex to lose. Rex held the record for the fastest calf ever roped at Cheyenne, Wyoming for 23 years. His record was finally beaten by Cody Ohl. Rex qualified for the first National Finals Rodeo held in Dallas, Texas in 1959, his best year in the RCA. Rex Beck was well respected and liked by his peers.
