Tuff Hedeman
| Tuff Hedeman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Richard Neale Hedeman March 2, 1963 El Paso, Texas, USA |
| Residence | Morgan Mill, Texas |
| Alma mater | Sul Ross State University |
| Occupation |
Rancher and team roping Retired rodeo performer |
| Years active | 1980-1998 (as a bull rider) |
| Spouse(s) | Tracy Hedeman (née Stepp) |
| Children | Three sons |
Rancher and team roping Retired rodeo performer
Richard Neale "Tuff" Hedeman (born March 2, 1963, in El Paso, Texas) is an American retired three-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) World Champion bull rider, as well as the 1995 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull Rider, and is the ambassador of Championship Bull Riding (CBR). He is also a ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Bull Riding Hall of Fame inductee.Previously, Hedeman was the president of the PBR and is known for having been one of Lane Frost's closest friends. He is of Swedish descent on his father's side.
Hedeman won many junior rodeos in his youth. In 1980, he won the high school rodeo bull riding and All Around titles in New Mexico. He won the team roping title and All Around designation again in 1981. After high school, he attended Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. At Sul Ross, he was a member of the rodeo team, competing in bronc riding, team roping, steer wrestling, and bull riding.
Hedeman filled his PRCA permit at one rodeo in 1983 as a bronc rider. He was known for riding bulls that often had not been ridden. He often traveled with fellow bull riders and close friends Lane Frost, Cody Lambert, Jim Sharp, Clint Branger, and Ty Murray to save travel expenses. He married Tracy Stepp in May 1986. He qualified for eleven National Finals Rodeos (NFRs). By 1993, he had surpassed $1 million in career earnings and won the 1986, 1989, and 1991 world titles in the PRCA. A neck injury at the NFR in 1993 kept him out of the arena for the entire year of 1994. In 1994, he was portrayed by actor Stephen Baldwin in the film 8 Seconds about the life of Lane Frost. He was actually a stunt double for Baldwin.
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