T.J. Walter was born on Feb. 27th, 1949 and was raised on a farm at Watkins, Iowa with 12 brothers and sisters. He started riding calves at age 10, bulls at age 13 and bareback horses at age 14. During high school, he competed in all events, and won the Iowa High School Bareback Bronc Riding and Bull Riding in 1966. He also won the Saddle Bronc and All-Around in 1967. TJ qualified for three National High School Rodeo Finals, winning the Bareback and All-Around titles in 1967 at Elko, Nevada. He also qualified for the NIRA Finals. He lived in Stephenville, Eastland, and Fort Worth for 18 years while he rode bareback horses, worked, attended college at Ranger Community College, and was the Rodeo Coach for Ranger.
During his pro rodeo career, T.J. competed at twelve National Finals Rodeos in the Bareback Bronc riding in 1970-1979, 1981, and 1983. He won Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Greeley, Prescott, Cody and many more. In 1983, T.J. won the rodeo in Washington, D.C. held in honor of President Ronald Reagan, and attended a barbeque at the White House.
T.J. was a member of the Board of Directors of the PRCA from 1974-1975. He rejoined the Board in 1979 and served until 1987. He was the last President of the PRCA in 1986, when the PRCA adopted its present structure. T.J. became a full time employee of the PRCA as Director of Rodeo Administration in 1987, a position he held until December of 2001.
T.J. is a Gold Card member of three different rodeo organizations, the PRCA, CPRA, and the APRA. At the time, there were only two in the world. He is also a member of the Iowa High School Rodeo Hall of Fame.
T.J.’s passion today is guiding elk hunters in northern New Mexico each fall. He has two daughters, Shawna and Julie, and a son, Raymond. He also has four grandchildren.
