The Challenge of the Champions in 1988 was a series of seven matchups at seven rodeos that paired up then-reigning Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) World Champion Bull Rider Lane Frost with then-reigning PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year Red Rock. The publicity that the Challenge received increased the popularity of rodeos and bull riding amongst the general public.
Red Rock was an 1,800 pounds (820 kg) bucking bull. [1] He had never been ridden in competition and had bucked Frost off at the 1985 National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and again at the 1986 NFR. [2] This had kept Frost from riding all 10 of his finals bulls in 1986 and from winning the World Championship that year. [2] Finally, Frost won the World Championship in 1987, the same year Red Rock won Bucking Bull of the Year. [2]
Sometime in 1988, John Growney envisioned a special matchup between the two 1987 Champions. It was decided that Frost and Red Rock would have seven showdowns at different rodeos in states across the West. [2] The event was titled the "Challenge of the Champions." [2] It was described as "a publicity match made in heaven," [3] a popular cowboy versus the best bucking bull. [3] Both had reached the pinnacle of the sport. [3] The series was widely covered by the mainstream media, as the best of the best matchup between man and bull was "something that everybody could understand," Growney said. [1]
Frost and Red Rock both had popular personalities. Frost was characterized as extroverted and playful, "quick with a smile and truly enjoyed meeting the fans". Red Rock "instinctively knew to take a victory lap" around the arena whenever he bucked off a rider, but was called a "gentle giant" outside of the rodeo ring. [4]
The first match took place at the Red Bluff Round-Up on April 17, 1988 in Red Bluff, California, Red Rock's then-current home town. [2] [1] The crowd cheered louder for Red Rock than for Frost, who was bucked off after two seconds and commented that it was the first time he’d seen more people cheer for the bull than for him. [1] [5] The second match took place in Clovis, California, and Red Rock took that one also. [2] The third match was in Redding, May 20, 1988, and Frost had studied videotapes, consulted with friends, and worked out prior to this event. [5] Frost stayed on, and at the eight-second mark, Frost was still on Red Rock, and this was the first time that anyone had ever stayed on Red Rock for a qualifying ride. [5] Frost was happy to explain how he changed his riding position by sitting well over to the right side, thus staying ahead of the bull’s motion. "I know I can't catch up to him when he goes to the right, I've tried." [6]
The fourth match in Livermore, California, went to Frost, making the score at 2-2. [2] This match was described as having Red Rock "wondering about Lane": The bull behaved differently than usual, giving Frost a side look before leaving the arena and foregoing any of his usual "victory laps" that he been taking after bucking off riders. It had been a 10 hour drive to Oregon from Livermore and Frost wanted to fly and unhappy because he wasn’t allowed to do so—Red Rock had to be transported via truck, so Frost also had to drive. Growney was in his truck smiling and waiting; Frost and Growney were good friends. At a rest stop along the way, Frost even paid a visit to Red Rock in his trailer. [6]
Then both bull rider and bull traveled by road all night to Sisters, Oregon. [2] This is where Red Rock had lived with his second owner, Mert Hunking, and had bucked in rodeos before joining the PRCA. [2] On June 12, 1988, this fifth matchup was the last bull ride of that night. [2] [6] The atmosphere was excited and the crowd cheered for both rider and bull. [2] Red Rock had an unusual left-hand delivery, but Frost hung on hard for the whistle, later saying it was one of his best rides. [2] That left the match at 3-2 in Frost's favor. [2] On July 4, 1988, at their sixth match in St. Paul, Oregon, Red Rock dumped Frost and tied up the matches at three each. [2] [6]
At Spanish Fork, July 25, 1988, was the 7th and final matchup. [2] Frost remarked that Red Rock appeared calm and cool. [2] Frost rode Red Rock to the eight second signal to win the Challenge of the Champions 4-3. [5] [2] Frost not only rode for eight seconds, the ride actually lasted 9.63 seconds. [2]
The two were keen competitors inside the arena, but few people knew that Frost and Red Rock had an acquaintance outside of the arena and were quite fond of each other. Frost would visit the bull and Red Rock was said to enjoy Frost's back scratches. [7]
Articles about the Challenge appeared in Sports Illustrated , ProRodeo Sports News, USA Today , and various regional publications. [3] There was a feature on NBC's Sports Machine. [3] [5] [2] [6]
Following the series, Red Rock was returned to his retirement. [2] Frost said of the Challenge:
Everybody can understand one on one. One of the greatest things that's happened in rodeo in a long time had just happened. [5]
In 1989, Frost was killed by a bull named SO Takin' Care of Business, at Cheyenne Frontier Days. [8] Frost had ridden the bull for a qualifying ride. [8] After he dismounted, the bull turned toward him and pushed him down, and then pushed his horn into Frost's back. [8] This resulted in broken ribs severing a main artery. [8] That further cemented Growney's resolve to leave Red Rock retired. [2] Frost is buried in Hugo, Oklahoma. [2] Red Rock died in 1994. [2]
Today, bull riders still watch video of the Challenge of the Champions match footage on YouTube. [9] One of the more well-known videos consists of footage of the four matches Frost won. [9] In a July 30, 2016 article published on the PBR's website about the 27th anniversary of Frost's death, it mentions bull riders Nathan Schaper and Kurt Shepherd and others as having watched and studied video of the challenge. [10]
In 2009, a documentary film was made about the Challenge of the Champions. [11] The DVD included interviews with Frost's parents, his friends, Red Rock's owner John Growney, sportscasters, photographers, and actors from the movie 8 Seconds. [11] The documentary was favorably reviewed by the Daily Record News, which noted that even though it finishes with the deaths of the pair, "you still feel good about the story at the end...They loved the fans, and the fans loved them." [4]
When similar matches between champion bulls and riders take place, they are compared to the Challenge of the Champions, like the 2010-14 matchups between J.B. Mauney and Bushwacker. [12]
Lane Clyde Frost was an American professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding, and competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He was the 1987 PRCA World Champion bull rider and a 1990 ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee. He was the only rider to score qualified rides on the 1987 PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year and 1990 ProRodeo Hall of Fame bull Red Rock. He sustained severe injuries at the 1989 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo when the bull Takin' Care of Business struck him after the ride, and he died at a local hospital.
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 most well 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.
The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, present and future." It is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and only inducts Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women's Professional Rodeo Association members. It is the "only museum in the world devoted exclusively to the sport of professional rodeo."
Ty Monroe Murray, is an American nine-time World Champion professional rodeo cowboy. He was one of the top rodeo contestants in the world from the late 1980s to early 2000s. He is an inductee of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the all-around category. He is one of the co-founders and a board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). From 2005 to 2019, he was also a regular color commentator for several televised PBR events.
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. Hedeman is a ProRodeo Hall of Fame, PBR Ring of Honor, Bull Riding Hall of Fame, and Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee. He is known for having been one of rodeo icons 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).
James Burton "J.B." Mauney is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. The bulk of his career came from riding in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), winning the world championship for said organization in 2013 and 2015. Since 2021, he has competed full-time in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He also competed briefly in the now-defunct Championship Bull Riding (CBR) tour. Mauney is considered the greatest bull rider of his generation. He is noted for picking the rankest bull in the pen when given the choice.
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 in August.
Skoal Pacific Bell #14 was a 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."
Red Rock #007 was an American bucking bull. He competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Bull riders attempted to ride Red Rock 309 times and not one was able to stay on him until the eight-second whistle required for a scored ride. He was also chosen as the PRCA 1987 Bucking Bull of the Year. However, Red Rock is most famous for his association with 1987 PRCA World Champion bull rider Lane Frost and their famous matchup called the Challenge of the Champions. In 1990, both Frost and Red Rock were inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. In 1994, Hollywood released 8 Seconds, a biopic based on Lane Frost's life, which includes his duel with Red Rock. He was the first livestock inducted into the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2017.
Long John #58x was an American bucking bull. He competed in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuits. He was the PBR World Champion Bull in 2015. He tied for the title in 2016 with two other bulls, but the tie breaker went to his brother, Bruiser. In 2015, he was the PRCA Reserve Champion Bull, coming in second to Kish's #849 Crystal Deal. In 2016, Time Magazine selected Long John for its 100 Most Influential Animals of 2016, at 50th place. Long John became both a fan favorite and a bull rider favorite by the end of his career. The PBR CEO, Sean Gleason, said, shortly after his death: "Long John was a phenomenal athlete with the heart of a champion."
Red Wolf #112 was an American bucking bull. He won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Bull of the Year title in 1996 as well as other honors throughout his career. He bucked until 2000 when he was 12 years old, considered an old age for a bull to buck, and he did it at a very high level. He bucked more than 100 times at all levels, which very few bulls manage. In 2013, he was inducted into the Professional Bull Riders’ Brand of Honor. He is also known for the accidental death of bull rider Brent Thurman.
Bones #05 is an American former bucking bull. He competed in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit and was the PBR World Champion Bull in 2008 and 2010. Two other bulls, Dillinger and Smooth Operator, have also won the title two times. Three other bulls, Little Yellow Jacket, Bushwacker, and Bruiser won the award three times. In 2011, the year after Bones won the 2010 World Champion Bull title, when he was 7 years old, his owner, Tom Teague announced his retirement from the sport. Bones lives on Teague's ranch in his retirement. In 2014, the bull was inducted into the PBR Brand of Honor.
V-61 was a hall of fame bucking bull known only by his brand, V-61. In 1970, he was the Bucking Bull of the NFR. In 2012, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame inducted V-61. In 2015, the Bull Riding Hall of Fame inducted him into its inaugural class. In 930 attempts, only four bull riders managed to complete rides on him for a total of five qualified rides. His owner retired him in January 1974 and he died later that year.
Oscar #16 was a bucking bull. The ProRodeo 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.
SweetPro’s Bruiser #32Y was an American bucking bull. He was 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 was 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 was 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 was 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 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-year 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.
James William Harris, known as J.W. Harris is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He competed on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Championship Bull Riding (CBR), and elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuits. He won the PRCA Bull Riding World Championship four times at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). Harris is the first bull rider since Don Gay to win four PRCA world bull riding titles. He is also the first since Gay to win three of them consecutively. Harris was also the 2014 PBR Rookie of the Year. In 2022, he was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.
Spotted Demon #35 is an American retired bucking bull. He is the 2018 Bucking Bull of the Year for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). In 2017, he came in second place for the title.