Eddie Priefert of Priefert Manufacturing

The Priefert family has been raising kids, cows, and quarter horses on their ranch in Mt. Pleasant, TX for many years. In January of 2020, their contributions to the Cowboy way of life were publicly recognized with their induction into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. President Eddie Priefert represents the third generation of leadership in the family business – Priefert Manufacturing.

Eddie is a key player in inventing and improving products at Priefert. He was lead on creating the adjustable roping box, on updating the most popular manual roping chute in the industry, and on updating the Priefert stripping chute. In fact, back in 2005, Eddie was the one who pushed Priefert into the roughstock end of the rodeo business when he agreed to build bucking chutes for the PBR.

Eddie is currently developing the 4th generation of family leadership as the proud parent of 5 kids. Ethan(19), Landon(17) and Collin(14), all compete in team roping, while his youngest son Ayden(12) competes in team, tie down, breakaway and ribbon roping. Eddie and his wife, Randa, also have a daughter Preslee(3) who they are raising in the western way of life on the family ranch.

Eddie played a crucial role in launching the Priefert Junior Elite program. In PJE’s inaugural year, there were 85 team members. That grew to 110 team members this year, representing 26 states, 3 Canadian provinces, and even 1 member from Australia. To be selected, team members had to fill out an extensive application that covered their rodeo accomplishments, school involvement, and grades. Applicants also had to write an essay about why they want to be a team member and provide two letters of recommendation. Once accepted into the program, PJE members receive leadership training and tips from Priefert’s Pro Team and other industry leaders. Eddie’s overall goal was not to have a “Junior Rodeo Team”, but to provide a program that helps create better leaders for the future of our industry. These kids will ultimately become the leaders in the western world, and he recognized that we need better leaders tomorrow than we have today because they will face more and bigger challenges that the ones we currently face.

Building rodeo and ranch equipment is not just a job; it’s his lifestyle and integral part of who Eddie Priefert is. Hard work, good people, a willingness to step “outside the box,” and abundant blessings from God have not only allowed him and the family business to grow and prosper, but also to earn a strong reputation in the industry for integrity, quality, and reliability.