Tommy Moore, 83, president of NCHA from 1983 – 1984, passed away on Wednesday, July 17, 2019. An  NCHA Members Hall of Fame inductee , as well as a member of the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame, Moore was also NCHA Non-Pro Reserve World Champion in 1979 and 1980 riding Royal Santana, who he showed to win the 1980 NCHA Non-Pro World Finals.

During Moore’s two-year term as NCHA president, he was instrumental in seeing the Judges Monitor System put into practice. In addition, during his term, the NCHA Classic and Challenge, at that time separate classes, were integrated into the NCHA Derby (Summer Spectacular) venue, and Moore won the first NCHA Challenge Non-Pro championship, showing Sana Doc, by Peppy San.

Moore became interested in cutting competition in 1975, after retiring from his businesses, including a company that manufactured electric and acoustic guitars sold worldwide under the Jackson-Charvel name.

Trainer Dub Dale introduced Moore to the sport, and two years later, recommended a new direction. “I’ve taken you as far as I can take you,” Dale told Moore. “You need to get with the master, Matlock Rose.”

“It wasn’t a real cordial relationship at first,” said Moore of his beginnings with Rose. “This guy started on me from the way I put a blanket on a horse. And all during this time, there was never a lot said between Matlock and me. But a mutual respect developed and it finally resulted in the fact that he became the closest male to me in my life, other than my father and my son.”

Moore and Rose hauled together in 1977 and 1979, when Rose won the NCHA Open World Championships on Peponita, and Moore was riding Royal Santana and Senor Towie. In 1980, when Moore claimed the NCHA Non-Pro World Championship for the second consecutive year, his son, Tom Moore II, also coached by Rose, won the NCHA Youth World Championship.

“There is no such thing as quit,” said Moore, reflecting on his connection with Matlock Rose. “You’ve got to be fiercely competitive in the cutting arena, just like in manufacturing. If you’re not, somebody is going to run over you.”

No family services are planned for Tommy Moore, but his family suggested memorials in his name be made to Cook’s Children’s Hospital or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.