Birth name | Mary Lichtle |
---|---|
Occupation | Rodeo competitor |
Discipline | Barrel racing |
Born | Decatur, Indiana | August 18, 1948
Major wins/Championships | 2 WPRA Barrel Racing World Championships |
Lifetime achievements | Oldest rodeo world champion |
Honors | |
2017 National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame | |
Significant horses | |
Fred (Rare Fred) Mo (SadieFamousLastWords) Sailor (Sailors Wind) |
Mary Burger (born August 18, 1948) is an American professional rodeo cowgirl who specializes in barrel racing. She has won two Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) barrel racing world championships in 2006 and 2016. Burger was 68 years old when she won the championship in 2016, setting a new record for oldest professional rodeo world champion in any rodeo event, male or female. She broke the existing record set by Ike Rude of 59 years old in steer roping set back in 1953. She also broke the record set by Mary Walker in 2012 at 53 years old. Also In 2016, she became the third WPRA barrel racer to wear the No. 1 back number at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). She set a new record for season earnings, and she set a new record by becoming the oldest WPRA qualifier to the NFR at 68 years old. Her horses, Mo and Fred, whom she used to win her titles with, she trained in barrel racing herself. In 2017, she was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.