Tuff Hedeman

Richard Neale "Tuff" Hedeman (born March 2, 1963) is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding.

[2] Hedeman was born in El Paso, Texas, to a family from New Mexico, and won many junior rodeos in his youth.

In 1980, he won the high school rodeo bull riding and all-around titles in New Mexico.

In that same year, he was portrayed by actor Stephen Baldwin in the Hollywood feature film 8 Seconds about Frost's life.

[6] Hedeman was instrumental in starting the Professional Bull Riders, Inc.[3] In 1995, he won the PBR World Championship despite an encounter with Bodacious that resulted in numerous broken bones in his face.

[3][7] From 1993 to 1995, Bodacious had been out of competition for long periods due to an injury, however, he returned as a more dangerous animal, having developed a new bucking move "involving him bringing his rear up with his head to the ground, luring a rider to shift his weight forward, and then thrusting his head up full force to smash the rider in the face".

His last ride was at the PBR Bud Light Cup event in Odessa, Texas, in 1998, when in the first round, he landed on his head after getting bucked off and herniated a disc in his previously injured neck, which required surgery.

In 2005, he joined the PRCA Xtreme Bulls tour and very briefly worked as a sideline reporter for televised events.

[3] He then left CBR (which later folded in the summer of that same year) to start his own organization: the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour (THBRT).

He spends his free time traveling to bull riding and team roping events.