RONALD JAMES CHILDERS
Ronald James Childers was riding horses at three and team roping at nine. As a teenager, he won three different association youth and High School team roping state finals. He began riding Quarter Horses at the age of 18 and did that to make a living. He was a jockey who rode for trainers Eddie Willis, Lewis Wartchow, Jolly Howard, Rodney Reed, Tommy Mills, and many others. He was named jockey of the week several times at Remington Park, Blue Ribbon Downs, and Ross Meadows. He was the leading jockey for the Appaloosa Horse Club.
Ron suffered a terrible head injury in 1996, after a horse he was riding went down just past the wire. He was in a coma for five weeks. Childers credits his amazing wife Rosalind and his best horse A Jetting Dude, aka Cooley, for his recovery, with the team roping horse aiding the transition. Childers and Cooley have been together many years, winning many team ropings after the accident. He trained a horse named Eyes Have It, aka Rooster, that was the AQHA and PRCA Heading Horse of the Year in 1995. He won many saddles, buckles, etc., in team roping.
Ron Childers has ridden the earners of over $3.5 million with 787 wins. Perhaps his top horse is multiple Grade 1 winner and 1995 Aged Champion, Aged Champion Gelding My Debut with $459,010 in earnings.