J.C. Trujillo

Last updated
J. C. Trujillo
Born
James Charles Trujillo

(1948-05-10) May 10, 1948 (age 76)
Alma mater Mesa Community College
Arizona State University
OccupationBareback bronc rider
SpouseMargo [1] [2]

James Charles Trujillo [3] [4] (born May 10, 1948) [3] is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bareback bronc riding. [5] He competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit and was the 1981 PRCA bareback riding world champion.

Contents

Life and career

Trujillo was born in Prescott, Arizona. [6] At the age of six, he began his rodeo career. [3]

Trujillo attended Mesa Community College and Arizona State University. [7] In 1968, he was the intercollegiate bareback riding champion. [3]

Trujillo joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) in 1967. [3] It was renamed the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 1975. In 1981, Trujillo won the PRCA bareback riding world championship at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). He qualified for the NFR a total of 12 times in his career. [3] He retired in 1985. [7]

Personal

Trujillo and his wife Margo have two daughters, Annie and Sammie Lou. They also have six grandchildren. [7] [8]

Annie is married to former bull rider Judd Mortensen. His older brother, Brock Mortensen, is also a former bull rider. They were both active professional bull riders in the 1990s and 2000s; competing in the PRCA, BRO, and PBR circuits. Trujillo's grandsons, J.C. Mortensen and Jaxton Mortensen, Judd and Annie's two eldest sons, are both active PRCA and PBR bull riders. [9]

Honors

In 1994, J.C. Trujillo was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. [3]

In 2008, he was inducted into the California Rodeo Salinas Hall of Fame. [10]

In 2023, he was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. [11]

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References

  1. "Cowboy Hopes to Draw Stork". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. December 11, 1980. p. 87. Retrieved April 22, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. Landreth, Lily (November 29, 2023). "Back When They Bucked with J.C. Trujillo". Rodeo Life. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "J.C. Trujillo". ProRodeo Hall of Fame . Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  4. Porter, Willard H. (October 26, 1986). "Bareback Rider J.C. Trujillo Retires Again". The Oklahoman . Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  5. "Oilers edge Steelers, keep title hopes alive (caption)". The Santa Fe New Mexican . Santa Fe, New Mexico. December 11, 1979. p. 19. Retrieved April 22, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  6. "SF cowboy carves niche in pro rodeo". The Santa Fe New Mexican . Santa Fe, New Mexico. January 5, 1975. p. 12. Retrieved April 22, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  7. 1 2 3 "Rodeo legend J.C. Trujillo rides into National Cowboy Hall of Fame". Steamboat Pilot & Today. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  8. "The ROX LIVING Interview: JAMES CHARLES "J.C." TRUJILLO". Prescott Living Magazine. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  9. "Bull riding is the Mortensen family business". Prescott Days. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  10. "Hall of Fame members". California Rodeo Salinas. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  11. "J.C. Trujillo". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved January 12, 2024.