Top 5 Best Bull Riders of All Time (Updated List 2023)

December 24, 2022

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Even though Bull Riding has simple playing rules and roughly entertains for 5-10 seconds during Pro-Rodeo Events, it is a very revving discipline, which often results in injuries. In this Sport, the prime goal of the rider is to stay on the bucking bull’s back for at least eight seconds.

Of course, Bull Riding lays strong ties with history, which didn’t credit a single individual for its invention; instead, a team of ranchers and farmers are given credit. A widely popular opinion claims that the Mexican Farmers were the first to introduce earlier forms of bulling riding.

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The origins of bull riding date back to the 1500s when Mexican farmers held charades and horsemanship competitions. Over time, Southwestern American farmers from places like Southern California and Texas adopted this sport with modern alternations.

Notably, the initial concept of Bull Riding was brutal towards animals, as they were usually ridden to death. However, the rules changed over time, especially when the sport became more popular in the USA around the 19th century.

With steady progress, the Bull Riding started to compete among Mexican and American Farmers around the mid of 1850s. However, 1930 saw a real uptick in the sport when Bull Riders started to launch Rodeo Events and Tours, presently known as PBR tours. The first PBR was held in 1992 and has been played under Official Rules.

The PBR tour attracted millions of fans globally due to its thrilling nature and continues to be that way to this present. Currently, PBR tours are staged in cities like Dallas and Las Vegas, where famous Rodeos participate and showcase their skills in front of large spectators.

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Even though the annual bulling riding competitions include top riders from across the globe, the ones dominating the universal charts belong to countries like Australia, the United States, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico. Here is the list of the Top 5 Best Bull Riders of all Time.

Sr.No	Player Name	Highest Award
1	Tuff Hedeman	3-Time Cowboys Association World Champion
2	Lane Frost	Won Professional Rodeos Cowboys Bull Riding Championship
3	Ty Murray	7-Time Professional Rodeos All-Around Champion
4	Larry Mahan	6-Time Professional Rodeos All-Around Champion
5	Jim Shoulders	5-Time Professional Rodeos All-Around Champion

1. Tuff Hedeman

It is virtually impossible to keep Tuff Hedeman from this list. The legendary Bull Leader braces a long-serving career comprising 30 years, starting from a young age and eventually being elected as the President of the Professional Bull Riders Organization.

Hedeman has staged numerous bull riding competitions in the El Paso County Coliseum for 17 years and has won four PRCA World Championships alongside Professional Bull Riders World Championship in 1995. In addition, he was inducted into the four Rodeo Halls of Fame – Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Bull Riding Hall of Fame.

2. Lane Frost

The late Lane Frost is known as a Rider who manifested the nature of Bull Riding. Sadly, Lane died in a tragic bull riding accident at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo while aged 25 years. His family, friends, and Rodeo community remembers has as a Loving, Careful, and Fearless rider.

Frost has had affection for Bull Riding since childhood, as he won his first award for bull riding at ten and pursued a remarkable career after that. He won the PRCA World Championship in 1987. After his death, the Bull Riding Association inducted his name into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and the Bull Riding Hall of Fame. Notably, Frost was the only rider to successfully ride Red Rock, a bull titled Bucking Bull of the year, in 1987.

3. Ty Murray

If you’re a diehard Bull Riding Fan, you must be familiarized with the name and achievements of Ty Murry, also known as the King of the Cowboys. The skillful Bull Rider is the only one, winning All-Around World Championship Titles seven times during his career, and earned most fame in Saddle Bronc, Bareback, and Bull Riding Events.

It is pertinent to mention that Murray won his first World Championship when aged 20 years, making him the youngest bull rider to uplift this title. He is also known for his best performances in three of the most dangerous Rodeo Events – Saddle Bronc, Bull Riding, and Bareback. Murry also won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Bull Riding World Champion twice and PRCA’s Overall and Bareback Rookie of the Year championship in 1988.

4. Larry Mahan

Larry Mahan is among those few Bull Riders who are impossible to surpass at the peak of their careers; therefore, even further away in history. The six-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World All-Round and Two-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Bull Riding World Champion has impacted the Bull-Riding industry with his immortal grace.

Mahan started Bull Riding at 14 and was soon inducted into the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He recognized himself by winning eight world championships, with the latest PRCA World Championship win in 1973. He is the first rider to participate in three riskiest events – Saddle Bronc Riding, Bareback Riding, and Bull Riding and the first to win $50,000 in a single season.

5. Jim Shoulders

With 16 World Championship Titles in All-Around Riding, Bareback Riding, and Bull Riding Disciplines, Jim Shoulders is known as the Babe Ruth of Rodeo. Notably, he was the first participant to win Bareback Bronc, All-Around, and Bull Riding in a single season.

Shoulders claimed his pioneer World Championship Title at 21 and then continued to win world championships in different Rodeo Categories in the next ten years. In addition to impressive riding skills, Shoulders was known for bearing intense injuries as he usually competed while injured. It is pertinent to mention that Shoulders had no prior experience with livestock before entering this field because he grew up in the city but entered the sport at fourteen years after watching it.