Charmayne James (born June 23, 1970) is an American former professional rodeo cowgirl who specialized in barrel racing. In her career, She won 11 Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) barrel racing world championships, the most in history. She won ten consecutive world championships from 1984 to 1993, and then a final one in 2002. She qualified for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) 19 times and also won seven NFR barrel racing average titles in 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993, and 2002. James retired her horse, Gills Bay Boy, nicknamed Scamper, whom she won the bulk of her titles with, in 1993 after winning her tenth world championship. James herself would retire from barrel racing in 2002 after winning her 11th world championship.
Scamper was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1996. James was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 1992 and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017. The August 2017 induction ceremony was ProRodeo's 38th annual event, and marked the first time in the event's history that the class of inductees included barrel racers from the WPRA.
Early history
Charmayne James, born June 23, 1970, in Boerne, Texas, was raised in Clayton, New Mexico. She was three years old when she first started riding horses, and by age six she was running barrels. Her recollection of barrel racing is that it was the only thing she ever wanted to do. She began her rodeo career at a young age when she joined the Rabbit Ear 4-H Club. Prior to 2019, barrel racing was the only event women competed in at Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) events, and is second only to bull riding as the most popular event.
As a young girl, James rode Bardo in barrel racing competition. They had competed in amateur rodeos for about two years before Bardo shattered a bone in his leg, and had to be euthanized. James considered Bardo her best friend, which made finding a replacement for him difficult. She eventually set her sights on Gills Bay Boy, an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) registered gelding her father had purchased as a four-year-old for $1,100 to sort feedlot cattle. In the beginning, James encountered some behavioral issues with the horse, but over time, she was able to train him for barrel racing competition. He became widely known as Scamper, a nickname originating from a comment her father made while watching them run barrels: "He sure wants to scamper around those barrels."
ProRodeo career
By the end of 1983, James and Scamper had competed on the amateur circuit for approximately three years, and advanced to the pro circuit. James filled her permit for the WPRA following a win at a competition in Dodge City, Kansas. "Filling a permit" is when a contestant fulfills the requirements to become a WPRA card holder, which includes purchasing a permit and earning a minimum dollar amount at sanctioned rodeos. As a card holder, a contestant is allowed to compete in finals events and gain official ranking.
In 1984, the pair began their first season competing at the professional level, and by season's end, James had won $53,499.00 and two championship titles, including 1984 WPRA World Champion Barrel Racer and NFR Barrel Racing Average Champion. She was also named 1984 WPRA Rookie of the Year.
In 1985, the pair earned $93,847 and their 2nd WPRA world championship title. They did it again in 1986, winning their 3rd WPRA world championship title and NFR Average with total earnings of $151,969, achieving professional rodeo's highest earnings ever in a single-event season. Another first came in 1987 at the NFR where the team won their 4th world championship with earnings exceeding $120,000. That same year, James became the first woman ever to wear the No. 1 back number in a National Finals Rodeo. The back number indicates a contestant's ranking in money earnings at the end of the regular season. In 1988, the pair won their 5th world championship with earnings of $130,540—the most money earned that year by anyone in professional rodeo competition, exceeding the earnings won by the men's all-around world champion.