Tuff Hedeman

At 61 years old, Tuff Hedeman physical status not available right now. We will update Tuff Hedeman's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Hedeman was born in El Paso, Texas, 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. 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 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, 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 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 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, 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.

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).

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