Tuff Hedeman

Richard Neale "Tuff" Hedeman (born March 2, 1963, in El Paso, Texas) is an American retired three-time PRCA World Champion bull rider, as well as the 1995 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull Rider, and is the ambassador of Championship Bull Riding (CBR).^[1] He is also a ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Bull Riding Hall of Fame inductee.

Previously, Hedeman was the president of the PBR and is known for having been one of Lane Frost's closest friends. He is of Swedish descent on his father's side.

Professional career

Hedeman won many junior rodeos in his youth. In 1980, he won the high school rodeo bull riding and All Around titles in New Mexico. 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. 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 one 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, 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 Final Rodeos (NFRs). By 1993, he had surpassed $1,000,000 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 in the 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. He just missed winning the 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 event in Odessa, Texas, in 1998, when he landed on his head after getting thrown off and herniated a disc in his previously injured neck. After some consideration, he officially retired in 1999. He was leading the PBR World Standings in 1998 at the time of his injury.

Hedeman is one of only seven riders to have ever ridden Bodacious for qualified 8 seconds, with the stand-out ride being a 95-point ride at a 1993 Bull Riders Only (BRO) event in Long Beach, California. However, his more familiar encounter with Bodacious happened in the short-go round of the 1995 PBR World Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was jerked down by the bull upon exiting the chutes and struck his face on the bull's head, shattering every major bone in his face. He managed to walk out of the arena, albeit a bloody mess. He required several hours of reconstructive surgery for his face, and less than two months later, he was riding again. At the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) later that year, he drew Bodacious again, this time in round 7 of the NFR. He decided to turn him out – getting off him when he left the chute. He then tipped his hat to him and received a standing ovation for his decision. He did this at the request of his son because Bodacious had smashed his face earlier that year.

End of career, retirement, and after

Hedeman is the current ambassador for CBR after abruptly leaving the PBR in 2004 for undisclosed reasons (Ty Murray has since replaced him as the PBR's president under much controversy which ended their longtime friendship). He, Tracy, and their two sons live on a ranch in Morgan Mill, Texas, outside of Fort Worth. His oldest son, Lane, is named after Lane Frost. He also adds color commentary to CBR bull riding events broadcasts on television. He spends his free time traveling to bull ridings and team ropings.

In April 2010, Hedeman was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in Fort Worth. In 1997, Hedeman was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in the Bull Riding category.^[2] The Hall of Fame provides recognition to rodeo notables of the past and present in the PRCA circuit. In 2016, Hedeman was inducted into the second class of the recently created Bull Riding Hall of Fame in the Bull Riders category.^[3]

Hedeman is sponsored by Resistol Hats, Panhandle Slim Shirts, Cinch Jeans, and Lucchese Boots.

References