Scooter Fries

Scooter Fries, 83, of Bandera, passed away on June 25, 2015 in San Antonio. He was born in Bandera, Texas, to Damon E. and Isabel Fries on September 21, 1931. He Married Sheila Reynolds on November 6, 1983 in Bandera.\r\n\r\nHis uncle took Scooter as a toddler on many of the trail rides with the guests at the U-Bar.By the time he was three years old, Scooter was turned loose on his own little cow horse named Sweetheart. He joined his uncle Bennie and ranch guests on trail rides to town. He also began to help his uncle with some light ranch work.\r\n\r\nAlong about the same time, Bennie stuck a rope in Scooter's hands and began to teach him how to rope. Soon little Scooter was roping everything that moved - dogs, chickens, sheep, goats - including the dudes at the ranch. Impressed neighbors called him a prodigy with a rope.\r\n\r\nScooter roped his first calf from a horse when he was five. He began to win small rodeos and his reputation grew. By the time he was eight, he was contracted to do roping exhibitions at rodeos in Mansfield Park, San Antonio, New Braunfels, Kingsville, Beeville, and other small towns around Texas.\r\n\r\nSoon roping calves in record time, he was still too small to do tie downs. Here, his friendship with older cowboys was demonstrated when rodeo champions like Ray Wharton and others would run from the sidelines and tie his catch. Scooter was tested many times to prove his mettle by competing against some of the really tough champion cowboys, like Jim Bob Altizer and others, in highly publicized match ropings.\r\n\r\nIn the late 1940s, Scooter began a string of victories, starting at Mansfield Park, already made famous by so many of Bandera's cowboys and champions. \r\n\r\nIn June 1947, Scooter qualified for his first high school state championship rodeo, held in Hallettsville, Texas, and showed great promise of becoming a rodeo champion.\r\n\r\nIn June of 1948, he returned to Hallettsville to beat all rivals for the state championship tie-down roping title. He was presented with a Frank Rooke quarter horse and a trophy saddle by the Governor of Texas, Coke Stevens.\r\n\r\nIn 1950, Scooter again won the state championship in steer wrestling and roping, which made him eligible for the national high school rodeo championships in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, where he won the national title in roping.\r\n\r\nNot yet finished with his high school rodeo career, he returned to Hallettsville in June of 1951 and once again won the state roping championship. Competing in the national finals in Sulpher, Louisiana, he came home with the reserve champion title.\r\n\r\nScooter is one of several famed champion cowboys whose names are inscribed on a monument standing in a place of honor on the courthouse lawn in Bandera. The monument gives everlasting tribute to those champion cowboys from Bandera County who campaigned for and promoted the sport of rodeo.\r\n\r\nScooter was also a co-founder and lifetime member of the Cowboy Capital Rodeo Association, a PRCA Gold Card member, and was inducted into the Seguin Cowboys Hall of Fame.\r\n\r\nHe is preceded in death by his son, Troy Fries; sister, and brother, D. E. Fries.\r\n\r\nScooter is survived by his wife of 31 years Sheila; sons, Gary Fries, Tony Fries; nieces, D'Ann Fries Bournias, Lola Fries Frisbie.\r\n\r\nA Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, July 10, 2015 at Bandera United Methodist Church with Rev. Larry McRory officiating.\r\n\r\nIn lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be given to The Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, 101 Pro Rodeo Dr., Colorado Springs, CO. 80919, or donate online at www.justincowboycrisisfund.org. Please mention Scooter Fries. Memorials also may be sent to Bandera United Methodist Church.\r\n\r\n[contact-form-7 id="73" title="Send Condolences"]