Rodeo is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western Canada, and northern Mexico. Today, it is a sporting event that involves horses and other livestock, designed to test the skill and speed of the cowboys and cowgirls. American-style professional rodeos generally comprise the following events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, Steer roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing. The events are divided into two basic categories: the rough stock events and the timed events. Depending on sanctioning organization and region, other events such as breakaway roping, goat tying, and pole bending may also be a part of some rodeos. The "world's first public cowboy contest" was held on July 4, 1883, in Pecos, Texas, between cattle driver Trav Windham and roper Morg Livingston.
Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider.
Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding a bucking horse that attempts to throw or buck off the rider. Originally based on the necessary buck breaking skills of a working cowboy, the event is now a highly stylized competition that utilizes horses that often are specially bred for strength, agility, and bucking ability. It is recognized by the main rodeo organizations such as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA).
A rodeo clown, bullfighter or rodeo protection athlete, is a rodeo performer who works in bull riding competitions. Originally, the rodeo clown was a single job combining "bullfighting" — the protection of riders thrust from the bull, as well as being an individual who provided comic relief. Today, the job is split into two separate ones: bullfighters who protect the riders from the bull, and entertainers (barrelmen) who provide comic humor. However, in some parts of the world and at some small rodeos, the jobs of bull rider protection and comic remain combined.
Bodacious #J-31 was an American bucking bull. He was known throughout the rodeo world as "the world's most dangerous bull". He was also known as "the greatest bull ever to buck". During his rodeo career, he was the 1994 and 1995 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) Bucking Bull of the Year, as well as the 1995 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull. He and Bruiser are the only bulls who have won bucking bull world championship titles in both organizations. Bodacious is best known for his serious injury to bull riding icon Tuff Hedeman. Not long after, Bodacious also seriously injured Scott Breding. His owner, Sammy Andrews, then retired Bodacious. In 1999, Bodacious was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, and in 2017 into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame. In 2019, the PBR inducted Bodacious into the Brand of Honor, which is part of the PBR's Heroes and Legends Celebration, the PBR's unique way of honoring outstanding individuals and livestock in the sport of rodeo.
Richard Neale "Tuff" Hedeman is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. He won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding world championship three times, as well as the 1995 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) world championship. He also won the 1993 world championship for the now-defunct Bull Riders Only (BRO) organization. He is also one of the co-founders of the PBR and is known for having been one of rodeo icon Lane Frost's closest friends. Hedeman and the infamous bucking bull Bodacious had a few historic clashes. He later served as the President of the PBR and then the President and Ambassador of Championship Bull Riding (CBR). In 2018, he formed his own bull riding organization: the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour (THBRT).
Little Yellow Jacket #P761 was an American bucking bull. He was a three-time Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull, winning the title in consecutive years from 2002 through 2004. At the time, his three titles made him unmatched by any bull in the history of the PBR. In 2006, he was inducted into the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame for his accomplishments. He was the son of #77 Yellow Jacket and the grandson of #LH600 Wrangler Rivets. Little Yellow Jacket's three-time World Champion Bull record has since been matched by #13/6 Bushwacker, who received his third title in 2014, his year of retirement and Bruiser from 2016 to 2018. When Bruiser won his third title in 2018, he tied Little Yellow Jacket's record of three consecutive titles. Little Yellow Jacket was sometimes referred to as the "Michael Jordan of professional bull riding" and had his own line of merchandise. It was said he was the greatest bull in the PBR when he was selected to receive the inaugural Brand of Honor. In 2022, he was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame. In Little Yellow Jacket's day he had the largest following of any PBR bull. Later, Bushwacker was deemed to surpass Little Yellow Jacket as the best PBR bucking bull of all time.
Bushwacker #13/6 is an American former bucking bull. He competed in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit and was a three-time PBR World Champion Bull, winning the title in 2011, 2013, and 2014. His three titles match the record established a decade earlier by Little Yellow Jacket from 2002 to 2004. He was awarded the PBR Brand of Honor in 2016. He has been referred to as the "Michael Jordan of Bulls." In 2014, PBR co-founder and Director of Livestock Cody Lambert compared Bushwacker to the likes of Secretariat and Seabiscuit. He was inducted into the Class of 2020 in the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.
Dillinger #81 (1995-2004) was an American bucking bull owned by the Herrington Cattle Company. He won the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull title in 2000 and 2001. He was bestowed the PBR Brand of Honor in 2012, the second bull to receive the honor after Little Yellow Jacket won the inaugural award in 2011. Today, he is ranked first in the ProBullStats historical ranking of bucking bulls in the sport of bull riding.
Chicken on a Chain #CC was an American bucking bull. He competed in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit and won the 2007 PBR World Champion Bull title. In 2015, he was awarded the PBR Brand of Honor. He bucked for seven years, a total of 127 times; 33 of those times he was ridden at all levels. Chicken on a Chain finished his career with 130 outs. He holds a career average of 45 points per out and "arguably became the most popular bucking bull in PBR history". At the time he was active he was the only bucking bull in PBR history with more than 100 outs and an average career score of 45 or higher. Today, Chicken on a Chain is still considered one of the most popular bucking bulls. An article published on the PBR website on December 15, 2016, put him on the list "PBR Tough 10: Baddest Buckers."
Skoal Pacific Bell #14 was an American bucking bull best known for being the only three-time consecutive Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Bucking Bull of the Year and for only being ridden 5 times in 150 attempts. In 2007, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. As of 2016, he was the seventh and most recent bull so honored. The PRCA said in an official YouTube induction video that "Skoal Pacific Bell was a crowd pleaser and a cowboy challenger."
The Professional Bull Riders Heroes and Legends celebration honors five divisions in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), including the best bucking bulls.
Mossy Oak Mudslinger #790 (1997–2012) was an American bucking bull. He was the 2006 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull. He began his bucking career at age three. His owners retired him after the 2006 season ended, while he was still in his peak. He died in 2012 when he was almost 15 years old. His owners buried him on their ranch. In 2017, the PBR honored him with the Brand of Honor.
A bucking horse is any breed of horse, male or female, with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock.
Miniature bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a youth rider getting on a miniature bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal attempts to buck off the rider. It is bull riding on a smaller scale, as both the bull and the rider are smaller than in professional rodeo. All competitors are under age 18.
Oscar #16 was a ProRodeo Hall of Fame bucking bull. The hall of fame inducted Oscar in its 1979 inaugural class of inductees. To date, only seven bulls have been inducted, which is the highest honor a bucking bull can receive in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The California Rodeo Salinas inducted Oscar into its hall of fame in 2013. In 2018, the Bull Riding Hall of Fame inducted Oscar. In over 300 attempts, only eight bull riders made qualified rides of the requisite eight seconds on Oscar. Eight-time world champion bull rider Don Gay made the highest-scored ride on him at the time, earning 97 points, just 3 points short of a perfect score. Oscar's owners retired him in 1979 as a living exhibit to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He remained at the hall until his death in 1983.
Bruiser #32Y was an American bucking bull. He is the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull for 2016, 2017, and 2018. He is one of only two bucking bulls to win the title in three consecutive years. He is also the 2017 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) Bucking Bull of the Year. Bruiser and Bodacious are the only bulls to win both titles and they also did it in the same year: Bruiser did it in 2017 and Bodacious in 1995. Bruiser is the PRCA Reserve Bucking Bull of the Year in 2015. Bruiser tied for the PBR title in 2016 with two other bulls, and the tiebreaker went to him. Bruiser won the 2017 PBR title in a close race against Pearl Harbor. Bruiser won the title outright in 2018. Bruiser is also the American Bucking Bull (ABBI) Classic Final winner in 2015. He also won several other notable titles. SweetPro's Bruiser was retired from competition in 2021 at the age of ten. He died at age 11 on May 17, 2022.
Code Blue #644 was an American bucking bull. He competed in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit and was the 2009 PBR World Champion bull. He won the title in his first year on the PBR's elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) tour. He finished the 2009 season unridden with a bull score average over 46 points out of a maximum of 50, considered an exceptional score in bull riding. According to many notable sources and his career statistics, Code Blue had enormous potential, but a serious injury in the 2010 season cut his career short and his owners were forced to retire him.
Shepherd Hills Tested #20U was an American bucking bull. He was the 2013 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Bucking Bull of the Year. Tested bucked on the PRCA and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuits from 2011-2014. His first title was the 2012 American Bucking Bull (ABBI) Classic World Champion. He went on to win the 2012 PRCA Bull of the Finals title at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) later that same year. In 2013, he won the PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year title and was also the PBR Reserve World Champion Bull. In his last year bucking, he repeated as the 2014 PBR Reserve World Champion Bull. In 84 times out of the bucking chute over a four years period, Tested only allowed cowboys four qualified rides, two rides by two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney and two rides by Kasey Hayes. His owners retired him after the 2014 season. He died from injuries sustained from an accident on April 14, 2017.
American Bucking Bull, Inc. (ABBI) is an organization dedicated to the registration of bucking bulls and establishing the American Bucking Bull as a documented breed of cattle. American Bucking Bull, Inc., is owned by the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and stock contractors. The organization created a breed registry and manages the registration and certification of American Bucking Bulls. It also keeps records of other breeds of bulls, some of which died out many years ago. It is the largest organization performing these functions. It maintains a genetic DNA database, manages bucking bull pedigrees and encourages the growth of the breed. ABBI also holds competitions for bucking bulls ages 2 through 4. It also has its own magazine, the American Bucking Bull.
