ProRodeo Sports News - Jan. 7, 2022

“I won second behind a lot of great ropers,” said Burk, who also won the NFR average title in 1973, in an April 10, 2015, article in the ProRodeo Sports News . “Dean Oliver, Phil Lyne and Glen Franklin were winning gold buckles back then, and those guys are as great as they come. I was really close several times; I just didn’t rope as good as they did.” Burk came closest to winning a gold buckle in 1970, when he was $1,868 behind world champion Junior Garrison. Jeff Copenhaver beat him by $2,571 in 1975. “It wasn’t really frustrating, and I never did feel sorry for myself,” said Burk, who was considered one of the nicest men to compete in the rodeo arena. “I just got beat by guys who were better than me.” Burk was also an accomplished steer wrestler and team roper. He first qualified for the NFR as a steer wrestler in 1963 at the age of 21 and did that again in 1969 when he finished fifth in the all-around world standings. He also competed as a team roping header at the 1968 NFR, with qualifying partner Frank Ferreira Jr. After Burk retired from competing, he began hosting his Barry Burk Junior Roping Championships, and the family will host the 37th edition Memorial Day weekend in his hometown of Ardmore, Okla. “One of his last wishes was to go to the BB Junior Roping Championships in 2021,” Blair said. “He went and put the roping on and got to see all his friends and he loved that. After he had a Hall of Fame rodeo career, he gave back to the sport he loved.” Future world champions and fellow ProRodeo Hall of Fame tie-down ropers Cody Ohl and FredWhitfield attended Burk’s junior roping event. Barry is preceded in death by son, Opie. Barry is survived by his wife, Cheryl; brother, Roy, who qualified for the 1972 NFR in tie- down roping, and his wife, Melinda; son, Blair and his wife, Chelsey, and their children, T’Lee and Bryler Roy; step-grandchildren, Kennedy Phillips, Hudson Phillips, and Gentry Phillips.

Photo courtesy Barry Burk

Barry Burk is with his horse, Shorty.

Jim Fain photo Barry Burk qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 16 times in tie-down roping and he’s shown here at the 1979 NFR in Oklahoma City.

ProRodeo Sports News 1/7/2022

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