Eastern New Mexico University Athletics

Cunningham was ENMU’s first four-year letterman in rodeo, competing in 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967. He qualified to the College National Finals Rodeo in the saddle bronc riding in three of his four seasons, becoming Eastern’s first CNFR competitor, in 1963-64. In 1964-65, Cunningham won the Southwest Regional saddle bronc riding championship and was the main contributor to ENMU winning its first regional championship. He placed fifth in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association standings in saddle bronc riding, for the 1964-65 year and was a regional top-four competitor in 1965-66, when he led Eastern to a second place finish in the Southwest Region, to qualify for the CNFR. Cunningham was instrumental in starting the rodeo program at ENMU and helped recruit the team from the beginning.