LegendsMag

JANURARY ®
® 2013
2013
JANURARY
LEGENDS
MAGAZINE
What Do You
Wear To Work?
Many corporate offices have
this thing called Casual Fridays.”
at
CINCH
Every day is denim.
Every day is jeans.
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1
LEGENDS
by Shawn Voges
LEGENDS
PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDER,
COWBOY TO LEGEND
№1
OF THE DIRT
3
H
Professional Career
edeman won many junior rodeos in
his youth. In 1980 he won the New
Mexico High School rodeo bull riding
and All Around titles. He won the Team
roping title and All Around again in 1981.
After high school he attended Sul Ross State
University. At Sul Ross he was a member of
the rodeo team, competing in bronc riding,
team roping, steer wrestling, and of course
bull riding.
B
Richard Neale “TUFF”Hedeman
orn March 2, 1963 in El Paso, Texas
is a retired 3 time Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)
World Champion bull rider, as well as the
1995 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World
Champion, and is the current president of
Championship Bull Riding (CBR). He was
also the president of the PBR until
leaving to go to the CBR, and is
also known for having been
one of Lane Frost’s
closest friends.
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, with an all or nothing style
that amazed rodeo fans. 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 would go on
to qualify for 11
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
National Finals Rodeo in 1993 kept him out
of the arena for the entire year of 1994. In
1994 he was portrayed by Stephen Baldwin
in the film 8 Seconds about the life of his
friend Lane Frost. He was actually a stunt
double for the man portraying him.
Hedeman was instrumental in starting the
Professional Bull Riders, or PBR. In 1995, he
won the PBR wor ld Championship
despite his hor r ific encounter with
Bodacious the bull. He just missed winning
the PBR World Title in 1996, coming in 2nd
place that year. He finished 3rd in the
world during the 1997 PBR season. His last
ride was at the PBR 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 retired in 1999. He was
leading the
PBR World
the short-go of the 1995 PBR World Finals
in Las Vegas. He was jerked down by him
upon exiting the chutes and struck his face
on his head, shattering every major bone
in his face. To the crowd’s astonishment,
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, Hedeman ended
up drawing Bodacious again, this time in
round 7 of the NFR. He decided to turn
him out – getting off of him when he left
the chute. He then tipped his hat to him,
and he received a standing ovation for
his decision. He did this at the request of
his son when Bodacious smashed his face
earlier that year.
H
LEGENDS
Standings in 1998 at the time of his injury.
Hedeman is one of only seven riders to
have ever ridden the great bull, Bodacious,
with the standout ride being a 95-point ride
at a 1993 BRO (Bull Riders Only) event in
Long Beach, California. However, his more
familiar encounter with him happened in
e is now the current president of
the 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
ending their longtime friendship). He,
Tracy, and their two boys, one that he
named Lane after Lane Frost, now live on
a ranch near Parker, Colorado. He also
adds color commentary on TV to many
rodeo broadcasts. He spends his free time
traveling to bull ridings, and team roping.
It was announced that in April 2010 he will
be inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy
Hall of Fame.
№1
End of career, retirement and after
5
GARY LEFFEW
As a competitor he learned to
watch the “greats” of his day
learning the technique that today
with the help of his sons, Judd
and Brett.
LEGENDS
G
ary Leffew is known throughout
the rodeo industry as the "Bull
Riding Guru", a title he does not take
lightly. He has literally devoted his life
to the sport of bull riding.
№1
THE BULL RIDING GURU
7
T
hey teaches today’s riders and the
youth who dream of making that
perfect ride. Gary’s goal is seeing that
those that chose to compete in the sport
do so with a complete understanding of
not only the physical techniques but the
mental attitude as well. His teachings
stress the safety factors involved in the
sport. A quick list of the professional bull
riders who have adapted this technique
underlines its effectiveness and the
respect bull riders have for Mr. Leffew.
G
ary once said that he understands
that not everyone can attend his
schools and he wished he could tell the
young riders more so they would not
develop bad habits. Habits that could
get them hurt. As a result of this desire
Gary has launched a bi-monthly video
blog on the popular video website
w w w.RodeoUp.com. These videos
are designed to give short lessons
to riders as well as to instruct fans in
the basic techniques of bull riding.
Fans who view this series should find
watching bull riding more enjoyable.
Bull riding is one of the fastest growing
spectator sports in the world and with
its growth comes almost a hunger by
fans to learn more about all aspects of
the sport, the athletes, the bulls, rules
Gary instructing a young bullrider
at his school in Spanish Fork, Utah
and techniques. Gary Leffew, RodeoUp.
com, the Professional Bull Riders and
many other bull riding organizations
have all joined together as part of
the Rodeo Attitude Program. Rodeo
Attitude is a networking group whose
overall goal is to promote the sport and
bring the fans and participants closer.
You can learn more about Gary
Leffew and view his blog by visiting
his website at www.GaryLeffew.com.
WORLD CHAMPION
GARY LEFFEW S
2013
BULL RIDING SCHOOL
§
MARCH 14, 15, & 16
SPANISH FORK UTAH
TUITION $500 & DEPOSIT $150
Contact: Shawn Stephans (801).380.5265
www.garyleffew.com