Born on June 26, 1951, to Jack and Joy Chapman, Terry was raised on a farm and ranch, growing up riding horses and calves at branding time. His interest in rodeo was sparked when his parents took him and his siblings to all the local rodeos to ride in the parades and grand entries, including the Texas Cowboy Reunion at Stamford.
He attended Mattson Rural School from 1st through the 8th grades and then Haskell High School, where he graduated in 1970. While attending school at Mattson and Haskell, Terry excelled in athletics, participating in football, basketball, baseball, and track. After finishing with high school sports, Terry started entering bull riding and bareback bronc riding at local jackpots. He attended Texas A&M University, where he graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Economics. While at Texas A&M, Terry’s rodeo career took off. Encouraged by his brother, Keith, Terry attended a saddle bronc riding school in 1972 and then started entering every rodeo and getting on every bucking horse he could.
While in college, Terry was on the Texas A&M rodeo team in 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1977, riding saddle broncs and bulls. He was the NIRA Southern Region Saddle Bronc Riding Champion in 1974, 1975, and 1977 and qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1977.
Terry obtained his PRCA card in 1975 and is a PRCA Life Member Gold Card holder. He was an active PRCA saddle bronc contestant from 1975 to 1987. He was the 1978 PRCA Texas Circuit Season Saddle Bronc Riding Champion and qualified for the Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo eight times from 1978 to 1986.
Terry qualified for the NFR in saddle bronc riding in 1979. During his career, he placed at several big rodeos including Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, El Paso, Odessa, Abilene, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Sheridan, Casper, Sikeston, Burwell, and Albuquerque. He was the 1974 saddle bronc riding champion at the Texas Cowboy Reunion Rodeo, the 1978 State Fair of Texas Saddle Bronc Riding Champion, and the 1980 Mesquite Championship Rodeo Season Saddle Bronc Riding Champion.
Terry says he has never officially retired; he just hasn’t entered a rodeo since 1987. He currently works for the Livestock Marketing Association and makes his home in Norman, Oklahoma, with his wife, Ruth, and two daughters, Haylee and Caroline.
