In tribute: B.J. Pierce 'always wanted to help young people'

B.J. Pierce’s life may have been very different if he’d been born a few decades later, but if you ask those who he mentored, taught and entertained over the years with a collection of stories from his rodeo days, he may not have had it any other way.

Growing up in the Clovis area, Pierce and his family farmed and raised cattle and horses during his childhood. He roped for fun as a boy and continued to do so even during high school when his family moved to the city.

Pierce graduated from Clovis High School and went on to study at Eastern New Mexico University in 1945 on a basketball scholarship, where he kept roping despite having to keep up with his studies, basketball practice and work a part-time job all at once.

That summer, Pierce and a close friend named Shorty Matlock packed everything they’d need to camp out and headed to Canyon City, Colorado for a rodeo competition.

Pierce won that competition and walked away with a $300 prize, starting a famed rodeo career that would last well into the 1960s.

From there the two traveled the country, from the Southwest to Oregon and Montana. When the two returned to New Mexico, Pierce had amassed enough money to pay for all four years of his education at ENMU.

Pierce continued to compete for at least another 12 years and traveled everywhere from Houston, San Antonio, Tucson, Phoenix, California and even to New England and Cuba.

Towards the end of his career, Pierce won seven contests in a row, amassing $5,000. Shortly after returning home, he won another $5,200 at a local competition.

A talented roper with many big wins under his belt, Pierce’s biggest claim to fame were the three championship titles in calf-roping he earned at the International Rodeo Association competitions held in 1952, 1954 and 1955.

Pierce’s career ended before rodeo became as big as it is today, but many years down the line, Pierce was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame located in Oklahoma City in 2015 to recognize his accomplishments.

Those who knew him said Pierce loved telling stories about his rodeo days and used the money earned to further fund his education and become an educator himself.

Sometime during his career, Pierce met Wilma Fulgham, famous in her own right as the first New Mexico state fair queen and a mentor to many other pageant contestants since.

Fulgham recalled Pierce’s induction into the Cowboy Hall of Fame alongside cowboy legends like Western actor Slim Pickens and Bob Crosby. She said when called upon to introduce himself among that year’s inductees, he jokingly announced he’d be running for president of the United States.

“He was a gentleman and very well educated,” Fulgham said. “He always wanted to help young people whether it was helping with their rodeo skills or schoolwork.”

When he finally left the rodeo life behind him, Pierce used his winnings to further his college education, earning a master’s degree in elementary education and starting a job at Highland Elementary that would last 12 years. He went on to work another 12 years at Lincoln-Jackson Elementary and another seven years in administration jobs.

J.C. Ross said he started working with Pierce at Clovis Schools in 1961 and that he Pierce was known by staff for his good sense of humor and as a stern, but fair educator by his students.

“He had his reputation as a very strong disciplinarian, but he loved the kids. Still, he demanded respect and always ran a good school with good discipline,” Ross said. “He kept administrative meetings fun. He always kept us laughing. We all knew he had a career in the rodeo, but you’d never hear him brag about it. He was very humble.”

While many remember Pierce as an accomplished roper, others remember him as a stern, but fair educator from the 31 years he spent working as a teacher and administrator at Clovis schools.

Don Reid said he fondly remembers the lessons Pierce taught him as a teacher in the first grade. Though Reid sometimes had to be disciplined, he feels he learned a lot from Pierce.

Reid added that he only really every knew Pierce as a teacher, only learning of his rodeo fame long after meeting him.

Still, others remember Pierce as a lifelong friend and as he was in recent years, often hanging out at community meals, talking with old friends and sharing 91 years of experiences.

Fulgham’s son Jerry Fulgham said he grew up alongside Pierce’s son Ben and served with Pierce in the Curry County Mounted Patrol.

Jerry said he’d always meet up with Pierce at the sale barn every year for breakfast and a story.

“He’d always have a good story to tell. He got to keep his horse right next to Roy Rogers’ horse Trigger once,” Jerry said.

Jerry recalled another story Pierce said was one of his favorites. Pierce and some other rodeo participants at an event at Madison Square Garden bought members of the Yankees baseball team tickets to the show. Several famous Yankee players like Yogi Berra showed up and later returned the favor by giving Pierce and his fellow cowboys tickets to a baseball game.

“He always said it was one of his highlights. All those guys are probably dead and gone now, but he was so happy he got to go meet them,” Jerry said.

A service will be held for Pierce on Jan. 18 at the Steed-Todd Chapel in Clovis. Pierce is survived by his sons Ben and John and his four grandchildren.