Northwest News


Halfacre to be inducted in NWCC Sports Hall of Fame
Nancy Patterson
5/06/04

When the Northwest Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame holds its annual induction ceremony May 27 at the DeSoto Civic Center, Eddy Halfacre of Hernando will join its ranks as the first rodeo alumnus to be inducted.

Halfacre attended Northwest from 1977-1979. During his sophomore year in 1979 he was the number one bull rider in the Ozark Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and went on to compete in the College National Finals Rodeo. While a student, Halfacre served the Ozark Region as bull riding director.

It was during that time that Halfacre claimed the Southeastern Regional championship of the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association). He competed on the PRCA circuit until 1982.

"We have had some people who could ride as well as Eddy," said Rodeo Coach Bud Young. "But they couldn't play the mental game as well as he did. And that's what it takes to succeed in life as well as in rodeo."

Halfacre is still giving back to the school that gave him his start. May 1, Halfacre met with more than 100 rodeo alumni at the college farm to begin a fundraising effort to help Northwest teams in the future.

He and alumni Bruce Bolen of Batesville and Mike and David Wiseman of Hernando will serve as the administrative committee of the newly-formed Rodeo Alumni Association. That group will help host an Ozark Region college rodeo next spring that will also serve as a fundraiser for the team.

"Rodeo meant a lot to us when we were here," said Halfacre. "We want to do something to help these kids and bring back some of the interest in the sport of rodeo."

The deadline for ordering tickets to the Sports Hall of Fame Banquet is May 17. Tickets are $25. For more information contact Dolores Wooten, manager of Alumni Affairs, at (662) 560-1105.