World champion calf roper to 'raise the roof' at CSC March 27

The free event will take place in the CSC Student Center Ballroom at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. It can also be seen online at: csc.edu/live.

Time for fans to meet and greet Whitfield will be followed by a formal talk about his approach to life and obstacles he’s overcome on the way to his many achievements.

The evening will conclude with book sales and Whitfield signing copies of the recently released biography “Gold Buckles Don’t Lie – the untold tale of Fred Whitfield”.

His signature phrase, “raise the roof”, is popular among his fans across the country.

He won gold buckles in 1991, 1995-96, 1999-2000, 2002 and 2005 and claimed the 1999 all-around crown.

Whitfield, 46, is phasing out of the full-time rodeo circuit but still competes nationwide and also worked as a television commentator during the broadcast of the National Finals Rodeo from Las Vegas in December of 2013.

Garrett Lower, a CSC sophomore who lives in Alliance, contacted Whitfield’s wife, Cassie, in November asking if Fred would be available for a speaking engagement at CSC. Lower serves as the student senator for the school of BEAMSS and is a member of the CSC diversity committee.

In January, Lower and Laure Sinn, coordinator of activities, conducted a conference call with Cassie to work out the details of the event.

“I’ve been a fan of Fred’s since I was 5 or 6 years old. I waited for hours in a line to get his autograph one time. He’s a very humble, nice guy. I thought he’d be a great speaker to bring to CSC especially with his book just coming out. It is a great read,” Lower said.

Sinn said, "I'm super excited for this opportunity. To have someone who is competing at his level speak at CSC is just awesome."

Whitfield’s accomplishments include Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Resistol Rookie of the Year, 1990; inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, 2003; inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., 2004; inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame and honored in the National Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Okla., 2005.

Numerous other professional and career highlights can be seen on his website www.fredwhitfield.com.

As an interesting sidenote, Fred’s nickname of “Moon” was bestowed upon him by his grandfather. His best horse, also named Moon, died in December of 2006 after breaking its hip.

One of the medical obstacles mentioned on his website is his 2007 surgery to remove bone spurs from his C-5 and C-6 vertebrae in his neck and later the same month he underwent rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder.

Fred and Cassie, a Pilates instructor, live in Hockley, Texas with their two daughters, Savannah and Sydney.