1955 -
IGRA# 1071
First attended a gay rodeo in 1983
Inducted 2016
Mary Myrle Tuckness was born in 1955 in Del Rio, Texas. Her parents, Robert and Mary Lee Tuckness moved their family to the San Angelo area in the late 1960's. Murmur has three older brothers and one younger brother. One of her brothers could not pronounce her name and she became known as Murmur. She started riding horses at age 7 and participated in all aspects of ranch work, including: working cattle, riding horses, farm repairs, building barns and fences, welding, and shoeing horses. She learned by watching and quickly added to her skill set. The "San Angelo Standard Times" published a story on her in 1972, and described her as having a shy smile, bashful speech, and as "a versatile girl".
Murmur competed in rodeo events throughout her junior and high school years. She won several buckles, saddles, and awards in breakaway roping, steer riding, and bareback bronc riding.
As a spectator, she attended her first gay rodeo in Denver in 1983. After checking it out and watching to learn, she and a few friends traveled to compete in Denver's third Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo. She competed in bronc riding, bull riding, steer riding, chute dogging and wild cow milking. In September 1985 the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) was incorporated. Within a few years, Murmur added other events and became an all-around contender. Murmur has won a buckle in every IGRA event and claims her best event as chute dogging, her most improved event as barrel racing, and after 34 years of gay rodeo her current favorite event is team roping.
Murmur met Sande Miller on the gay rodeo circuit in 1984 and they became life partners in 1988. Murmur and Sande team roped together and partnered in steer decorating. Sande said she tried to help Murmur in barrel racing but... Murmur watched the event enough and made progress in time. Sande passed away from Hodgkin's disease in 2002.
In addition to Sande and friends, Murmur had numerous rodeo horse partners including horses named Paint, Muffin, Lucky, Jackie, Pokie, and Ling Ling. Murmur started the Texas Gay Rodeo Association's (TGRA) West Texas Chapter, and has been a member of TGRA, Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association (OGRA), Kansas Gay Rodeo Association (KGRA), and Red River Rodeo Association (RRRA). She served as a chute coordinator, former President of RRRA, and Former President of TGRA West Texas Chapter. In 2010, Murmur was honored to receive the "Wayne Jakino Western Lifestyle Award." This award is to recognize no more than one individual each year who is active within the IGRA community, promotes the Western lifestyle, adheres to the IGRA Code of Ethics and Sportsmanship, and shows enthusiasm for the IGRA mission statement.
When asked why she spent all of her adult life participating in gay rodeo and as a participant in IGRA she said: "friendships, meeting people from all over, comfortable being myself, and I formed a rodeo family". Murmur has suffered a few injuries throughout the years with the most recent taking her out of competition for a while. She continues to participate as she can, and looks forward to a full recovery. In the meantime, she is right there encouraging her rodeo family and helping as she can.
At the time of her induction into this Hall of Fame Murmur makes her home in Aubrey, Texas. She works as an electrician in addition to being a handywoman. Murmur volunteers her time at "Health Services of North Texas". She is an avid golfer and enjoys spending time with her friends and family.
IGRA World Finals Buckles won by Murmur
Certified Official positions
1988 Chute Coordinator
IGRA Trustee's Award:
1987, 1988
The Wayne Jakino Western Lifestyle Award:
2010