Bob Barmby, a well-known innovator in breeding bulls and a stock contractor, bred and raised Oscar at his ranch in Lockeford, California.

[1] According to one of Rodeo Stock Contractors (RSC) original owners and Barmby's son, Oscar's sire was Wirley Gig.

[2] Oscar was smaller in stature than most professional-level bucking bulls, weighing in at about 1,300 pounds (590 kg).

For the first five years that RSC bucked Oscar, over 100 bull riders tried and failed to get a qualified ride on him.

[3] In 1973, Oscar made his debut in a documentary film due to a challenge from a Mexican charro named Elias Arriolla.

[2] Finally, in 1975, John Davis succeeded in being the first bull rider to ride Oscar and win the bronze statue.

[5] Also in 1975, Randy Mager obtained one of his two rides from Oscar at the National Finals Rodeo when he finished as the Reserve World Champion.

Some of the few other bull riders that got a qualified ride on Oscar include Randy Magers, Jerome Robinson, Allan Jordan, and Guy Barth.

Barmby sold Oscar's Velvet for $10,000 – a previously unheard-of price – to Christensen Brothers Rodeo Company.

[2] When Oscar's Velvet won the PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year title in 1983,[8] it more than paid off for the buyer.

[2] These included notable bucking bulls such as Whitewater; Trick or Treat; Troubadour; and Reindeer, father of the famed Bushwacker.

Reminiscences of his career included comments from longtime rodeo announcer Wayne Brooks, who recalled, "He was about 1,400 pounds of the wildest fury you ever saw in your life.