The best bull riders of all time: Legends and records in professional bull riding

Bull riding is one of the world's most dangerous sports, whereby a rider must stay for at least eight seconds on a bucking bull to earn points. The best bull riders of all time have put their lives at stake for them to be champions, and some, like Lane Frost, paid dearly.

The sport's main objective is to stay on top of the angry and unpredictable bull for as long as possible. Besides its simple rules, the sport has underlying and thrilling dangers, which bring great excitement to the fans.

Top 10 best bull riders of all time

Despite the rodeo being a brutal and thrilling sport, top athletes have made their names in the arena with great performances. In recent years, younger riders like J B Mauney have risen to stardom, branding their names in the sport.

So, who is the greatest bull rider of all time? Scroll down to learn more about the top 10 bull riders of all time.

10. Terry Don West

At his best, Terry was untouchable since he was the world's best cowman. He rode most of the top beasts in his career, including the Bodacious, for eight seconds, giving the likes of Tuff Hedeman and Lane Frost stiff competition in the arena.

The legendary rider received little credit since he was not in the PRCA until later in his career, when he did so and dominated every match. He was second runners up three years in a row in the PBR World standings with his incredible performance, and in 2016, he became a member of the Hall of Fame.

9. Jim Shoulders

For decades, Jim dominated the industry with his incredible performance, and in return, he went down in history as one of the best cowmen of all time. He is famous for bagging 16 world championship titles in all his competitions.

Jim started to rodeo when he was 21 and participated in 3 different categories; bull riding, all-round riding, and bare back riding, and he had an impressive run of ten career years. In 2015, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

8. Larry Mahan

Larry was the world's best rodeo at the peak of his career. He began his career at 14 years old and later joined the professionals in the actual rodeo arena, and to his name, he has eight world championship wins.

In 1973, he won his last PRCA World Championship and was used to make a documentary named, The Great American Cowboy. He went down in the history books as the first athlete in the sport to compete in three different categories and the first to take home more than $50,000 in a single season. In 2015, Larry was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

7. Donny Gay

During his time, Donny was considered one of the greatest bull riders of all time. He still holds the record for the most PRCA Bull Riding World Championships owing to his determination to win and great belief in himself.

Although he began to rodeo at a younger age, Donny knew what he wanted and went for it. In his career, Donny dominated the sport and brought home eight world championship titles, and in doing so, he qualified for the National Finals 13 times. He later got inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

6. Jim "Razor" Sharp

Sharp is considered the best cowman of all time due to his perfect form. He is widely known for riding all ten bulls during the NFR finals in Las Vegas, which was unheard of in history. He made the game seem effortless since he was a natural.

In the following season, Sharp rode 9 out of ten NFR bulls, sealed his name in history for riding 19 consecutively, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

5. Chris Shivers

Among the greatest bull riders of all time is Chris Shivers, who now ranks second in 90 points career rides with 94. He was the first rider to take home over $300,000 a year and earn over $3 million.

The former Natchez professional athlete won 2 PBR World Championships in 2000 and 2003. In 2013, he retired and was nominated to the PBR Ring of Honour, and in 2017, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

4. Tuff Hedeman

With his impressive career, Tuff was a beast in his prime. He spent most of his years going around the country and holding shows, and he is a three-time winner of the PCRA World Championships.

The legendary rodeo star started his career at a young age and went to the top to become the Professional Bull Riders Organization president. He is known for dangerously riding the famous, Bodacious, considered the most unpredictable.

Additionally, he won the 1995 Professional Championship, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

3. Ty Murray

Also known as the King of the Cowboys, Murray was considered the world's best bull rider. To his name, there are seven All-Around World Championship titles, the most of any other Cowboy.

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Winning his first World Championship at 20 years old, he became the youngest athlete in the sport to ever do so in history. Later in his career, he co-founded the Professional Bull Riders Organization, and in 2018, he became a member of the Hall of Fame.

2. Lane Frost

Regarded as one of the greatest bull riders of all time, Lane was the first and only to ever rodeo with the Red Rock. He did so 4 out of 7 times and won the Challenge of the Champion, the most significant achievement in his lifetime.

The legendary hero won his first award when he was ten and was considered the best. Lane had one of the best careers, which came to an unfortunate end when he succumbed to a tragic riding accident. In 2017, he joined the Hall of Fame.

1. J B Mauney

Finally, the best bull rider of all time, J B Mauney, stayed within the competition. He bagged the 2006 Professional Rookie of the Year award and, later in his career, won the Professional Bull Rider World Championship two times.

Currently, he is the most talented in the arena to the extent that he picks the most aggressive rodeo beasts. He became the first athlete in the sport ever to take home over $7 million in 2016, hold the record for winning 2 PBR championship titles, and stay atop Bushwacker for eight full seconds.

Who is the toughest bull of all time?

Bodacious, an American bucking bull, was the toughest ever to grace the rodeo industry. Only a few legends successfully rode it for the total amount of time.

Who successfully rode Bodacious?

Tuff Hedeman was the only one who rode Bodacious successfully in November 1993, scoring almost 95 points after failing on two occasions.

Who is the best black bull rider?

Sampson ranks as the best black bull rider in history and is only one of two in the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. He is also the only black athlete in the sport to win a world championship.

Has any bull rider scored 100?

It is a challenging task to score 100 points in the rodeo arena. Although, after successfully riding Wolfman in 1991, Wade Leslie became the only rider in history to score a perfect 100 points.

At the back of their minds, the best bull riders of all time have always known that there is a chance of being bucked off to the point of even breaking a bone, and despite that, they have proven that they have what it takes.

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