Richard Neale "Tuff" Hedeman (born March 2, 1963) is an American former professional
rodeo cowboy who specializes in
bull riding
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.
American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To rec ...
. He won the
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States and Canada, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National ...
(PRCA) bull riding world championship three times (1986, 1989 and 1991), as well as the 1995
Professional Bull Riders
The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is an international professional bull riding organization based in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. In the U.S., PBR events have been televised on CBS and CBS Sports Network since 2012. In 2013, th ...
(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
Lane Clyde Frost (October 12, 1963 – July 30, 1989) 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 ...
's closest friends. Hedeman and the infamous
bucking bull Bodacious
Bodacious may refer to:
* Bodacious (bull), #J31, a ProRodeo Hall of Fame bucking bull known in rodeo as "the world's most dangerous bull"
* '' Bodacious!'', a 1984 album by Beau Williams
See also
* ''Bo-Day-Shus!!!
''Bo-Day-Shus!!!'' is the th ...
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).
Career
Hedeman was born in
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...
, and won many junior rodeos in his youth. In 1980, he won the high school rodeo bull riding and All Around titles in
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex
, Offi ...
. He won the team roping title and All Around designation again in 1981. After high school, he attended
Sul Ross State University in
Alpine, Texas
Alpine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Brewster County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,905 at the 2010 census. The town has an elevation of , and the surrounding mountain peaks are over above sea level. The university, hosp ...
. At Sul Ross, he was a member of the rodeo team, competing in bronc riding, team roping, steer wrestling, and bull riding.
Hedeman filled his PRCA permit at a single rodeo in 1983 as a bronc rider.
He was known for riding bulls that often had not been ridden. He often traveled with fellow bull riders and close friends
Lane Frost
Lane Clyde Frost (October 12, 1963 – July 30, 1989) 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 ...
,
Cody Lambert,
Jim Sharp, Clint Branger, and
Ty Murray to save travel expenses. He married Tracy Stepp in May 1986. He qualified for eleven
National Finals Rodeos (NFRs).
By 1993, he had surpassed $1 million in career earnings and won the 1986, 1989, and 1991 world titles in the PRCA.
A neck injury at the NFR in 1993 kept him out of the arena for the entire year of 1994. In 1994, he was portrayed by actor
Stephen Baldwin
Stephen Andrew Baldwin (born May 12, 1966) is an American actor, producer and director. He has appeared in the films '' Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989), '' Posse'' (1993), '' 8 Seconds'' (1994), '' Threesome'' (1994), '' The Usual Suspects' ...
in the Hollywood feature film ''
8 Seconds''
about the life of Lane Frost. He was actually a stunt double for Baldwin.
Hedeman was instrumental in starting the Professional Bull Riders.
In 1995, he won the PBR World Championship despite an encounter with Bodacious that resulted in numerous broken bones in his face.
From 1993 to 1995, Bodacious had been out of competition for long periods due to an injury; however, he returned as a more dangerous animal, having developed a new bucking move "involving him bringing his rear up with his head to the ground, luring a rider to shift his weight forward, and then thrusting his head up full force, to smash the rider in the face".
He was jerked down by Bodacious upon exiting the chutes, so the bull could thrust his head up and smash Hedeman’s face, shattering every major facial bone. Hedeman managed to walk out of the arena, but required several hours of reconstructive surgery for his face.
He spent less than two months recuperating, and at the NFR later that year, he drew Bodacious again — this time, in round 7. At the request of his son, he decided to turn him out – getting off him when he left the chute – and received a standing ovation.
Hedeman barely missed winning a second consecutive PBR world title in 1996, losing to Owen Washburn as he came in second. He then finished third in the world during the 1997 PBR season. His last ride was at the PBR
Bud Light Cup Series
The Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) was the first tour and in its first year was the only tour of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). When other tours were created, it became the major league tour of the PBR.
Background
This series ran from 1994 ...
event in
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small section of the city extends into Midland County.
Odessa's population was 114,428 at the 2020 census, ma ...
in 1998, when he landed on his head after getting thrown off and herniated a disc in his previously injured neck, which required surgery. After some consideration, he officially retired in 1999. He was leading both the PBR and PRCA World Standings in 1998 at the time of his injury.
Hedeman is one of the estimated seven to ten riders to have ever ridden Bodacious for the qualified 8 seconds, with the stand-out ride being a 95-point ride at the 1993
Bull Riders Only (BRO) World Finals in
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
.
End of career, retirement, and after
Hedeman served as president of the PBR from 1992 to 2004 and was a commentator for televised PBR events from 1999 to 2004. In early 2005, Hedeman very briefly joined the PRCA Xtreme Bulls tour as a sideline reporter for televised events before joining CBR not long after. He was president of CBR from 2005 to 2011 and was a commentator for televised CBR events from 2005 to 2008. He remained with said organization as ambassador and chute-boss from 2011 to early 2018.
In early 2018, Hedeman left CBR (which folded later that same year) to start his own organization: the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour (THBRT).
Personal life
Hedeman lives on a ranch in
Morgan Mill, Texas
Morgan Mill is an unincorporated community on U.S. Route 281 in northeastern Erath County, Texas, United States. It had a population of approximately 206 in 1990.
The four-time World Champion Bull Rider Tuff Hedeman, a friend and colleague of Lane ...
, outside of
Fort Worth. His oldest son, Lane, is named after Lane Frost; his younger sons are Trevor, Ryker and Ripp. He spends his free time traveling to bull riding and team roping events.
Awards
* 1986, 89, 91 PRCA Bull Riding World Champion
* 1987, '89 NFR Bull Riding Average Champion
* 1993 First $1,000,000 Bull Rider
* 1995 PBR Touring Pro Division Champion
* 1995 PBR World Champion
Honors
* 1988 Cowboy Capital Walk of Fame
* 1997
ProRodeo Hall of Fame
* 1997 El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame
* 1999 PBR Ring of Honor
* 2002
Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame
* 2003
Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame
* 2010
Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame
* 2016
Bull Riding Hall of Fame
* 2017 Molalla Walk of Fame
* 2020
Rodeo Hall of Fame of the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of Ame ...
References
External links
Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding TourTuff Hedeman TV
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hedeman, Tuff
1963 births
Living people
People from El Paso, Texas
People from Fort Worth, Texas
Ranchers from Texas
Sul Ross State University alumni
Bull riders
ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees
Sportspeople from Texas
Professional Bull Riders: Heroes and Legends