Tuff Hedeman | Biography

Three-time Bull Riding World Champion and 1995 Professional Bull Riders World Champion.

When Hedeman rode Bodacious again, he lasted only four seconds and consecutively incurred an accident that smashed his face. With Bodacious' thrust, Hedeman fell to the ground, and he felt numb with blood flowing through everything. Hedeman soon realized that his jaw was broken, and it had disfigured his whole face. And after arriving at the hospital, the doctors revealed that the hit broke every prominent bone in Hedeman's face. As a result, he required two surgeries which took 13 hours to complete and required six titanium plates to reconstruct his face.

By Anuska
Update : December 05, 2021

Tuff Hedeman is a former Professional Rodeo Cowboy in bull riding. He is a three-time winner of the 'Bull Riding World Championship' of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the champion of the 1995 'Professional Bull Riders World Championship.'

Who is Tuff Hedeman?

Tuff Hedeman is prominently known for his career as a bull rider. After he began winning championships from 1980 and 1981, he went on to become the first bull riding millionaire.

Hedeman was born as Richard Neale on 2 March 1963 in El Paso, Texas. He later went by the name of Tuff as his career took height.

He started riding from high school and competed in team roping, steer wrestling, bull riding, and bronc riding in the prominent Sul Ross NIRA Championship Team in 1982. Then, from 1983 to 1998, Hedeman competed professionally in Bull riding. He was qualified for 11 years for NFR and won the NFR Average in 1987 and 1989. Further, he was the World Champion Bull Rider in 1986, 1989, and 1991.

Along with championships, Hedeman co-founded the Professional Bull Riders. And he served as the president of the organization from 1992 to 2004. Then, from 2005 to 2011, he also worked as the president of Championship Bull Riding.

Other than that, he is also known for his friendship with the late Lane Frost. And a movie about them was also released in 1994 titled 8 Seconds.

Injury

Hedeman experienced one of his worst injuries while he was aboard Bodacious. The bull Bodacious or Bo had a distinctive color and had established himself as an 1800-pound anathema. It was once known as The World's Most Dangerous Bull and Hedeman was one of the few bull riders to stay abroad for 8 seconds.

He made his first attempt at riding Bodacious in Memphis, but he could not keep his hand in the rope. He made his second attempt in Tampa, Florida but was defeated after five and half seconds with riding Bo for another second and a half by hanging onto the tail of his role. Luckily, Hedeman earned a scoring ride along with a 95 mark at his third attempt, which is just 5 points away from the perfect ride. Hedeman recalls the third ride is the best ride that he has ever made.

In 1995 during the PBR Finals in Las Vegas, Hedeman rode Bodacious again and received a riding percentage of 82.35 and leading points in the competition. From 1993 to 1995, Bodacious was sidelined due to injury, but he returned more aggressive and more challenging to conquer upon his return.

Net Worth

According to celebrity net worth, Tuff Hedeman has a net worth estimated to be $2 million.

Wife

Tuff Hedeman got married to Tracy Stepp in 1986, and they have two sons together. He named his son, Robert Lane Hedeman, after the late bull rider Lane Frost.

Lane Frost and Tuff Hedeman

Tuff Hedeman is also popularly known for his friendship with the late Lane Frost. Their friendship is depicted in the 1994 film 8 Seconds. The two met when Hedeman was in junior high school in 1980.

Initially, Hedeman disliked Forst, but they had more in common, making them best friends. Then in 1985, they started traveling together for competitions. Their families, too, got along with them and went on family vacations.

Hedeman was with Frost even during his last injury, his final moments, and was the one to inform his family about the injury and death.

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