Charles Osgood "Charlie" Sampson (born July 2, 1957) is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding.
He was a fan of the famous African-American bull rider, Myrtis Dightman, who was known as the "Jackie Robinson of Rodeo".
Sampson very rarely mentioned race as an issue, even though he was competing in a sport dominated by white competitors.
In the New York Times Magazine, Sampson noted, "In 1983, a bull jerked me down and cracked my skull--I broke every bone in my face except my nose.
"[5] The 1983 ordeal was when his face was shattered at the 1983 PRCA Presidential Command Performance Rodeo in Landover, Maryland, with then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan witnessing the wreck.
Sampson's PRCA career lasted almost 20 years, with 11 National Finals Rodeo (NFR) trips.