Bodacious (bull) facts for kids
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| Bodacious | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Breed | Charbray |
| Brand | J-31 |
| Sex | Bull |
| Color | Yellow |
| Weight | 1,900 pounds (860 kg) |
| Born | 1988 Merrick Ranch, Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Years active | 1992—1995 |
| Breeder | Merrick Ranch |
| Owner | Andrews Rodeo Company |
| Notable riders |
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| Died | May 16, 2000 (aged 12) Addielou, Red River County, Texas, U.S. |
| Honors | |
| ProRodeo Hall of Fame 1999 Bull Riding Hall of Fame 2017 |
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| Awards | |
| 1992, 1994-1995 PRCA Bucking Bull of the NFR 1994—1995 PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year 1995 PBR World Champion Bull |
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Bodacious (born 1988, died May 16, 2000) was a super famous bucking bull. He was so good that he earned the PBR Brand of Honor in 2019. This award is one of the highest honors a bull can get in the sport of bull riding.
Bodacious was known as "the world's most dangerous bull" and "the greatest bull ever to buck." In 1999, he joined the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, and in 2017, the Bull Riding Hall of Fame. During his career, he was the 1995 PBR World Champion Bull. He also won the 1994 and 1995 PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year awards. Bodacious and another bull named Bruiser are the only bulls to win both of these big titles. Bodacious is especially famous for seriously injuring top bull rider Tuff Hedeman. After also injuring Scott Breding, his owner, Sammy Andrews, decided to retire him. Bodacious passed away at 12 years old in 2000.
Contents
Early Life of a Champion Bull
Bodacious was born in 1988 on the Merrick Ranch in Oklahoma. He was a mix of Charolais and Brahman breeds, called a Charbray. Bodacious was special because he was a unique yellow color. Most of the other cattle on the ranch were gray-blue or cream.
A rancher named Jess Kephart bought the yellow calf in 1991. He branded the young bull with a "J" for his first name. When Bodacious was three years old, Kephart decided he wasn't right for his herd. A rodeo stock contractor named Phil Sumner then bought the bull for about $700. Sumner added to the brand, making it J-31. The "3" meant March, and "1" meant 1991, the year he bought the bull. At that time, Bodacious weighed about 1,200 pounds (540 kg). Sumner didn't name the bull himself because he wasn't sure if he would be a good bucking bull.
Bodacious' Amazing Career
During his career, Bodacious was sometimes known by other names. He was called "Skoal's Bodacious" when a tobacco company sponsored him. Later, he was called "Dodge Bodacious" when he represented an automotive company. His name "Dodge Bodacious" even appeared on some of his awards.
Many people described Bodacious as an incredible athlete. GQ Magazine called him "the fiercest competitor of his generation." They said he was "lethal, a legend, the Michael Jordan of barnyard brutes."
Bodacious bucked in the PBR Premier Series at least five times. He scored over 45 points in almost all of those rides. His average score was 46.4 points, which is one of the highest ever. He bucked off 80% of riders in the Premier Series alone.
Records from Bodacious' time weren't always perfect. But most sources say riders tried to ride him at least 135 times. Only about eight to ten successful rides were made on him by about seven different cowboys. Bubba Dunn, Clint Branger, and Terry Don West each rode him twice. Tuff Hedeman, Jim Sharp, Greg Schossler, and Legs Stevenson each rode him once.
Even after Bodacious passed away, fans and journalists still talk about whether he was truly the best bucking bull ever.
Life After Rodeo and His Passing
Bodacious spent his retirement at the Andrews Rodeo Company Ranch. He enjoyed relaxing in the pasture and breeding with other cows. He mated with 120 cows during his retirement. He also went on tours around the country.
His owner hired an agent to manage his public appearances. Bodacious visited state fairs, rodeos, and casinos across the United States. He appeared as a special guest at famous places in Las Vegas. Articles about him were published in magazines like Sports Illustrated and GQ. He was also featured in commercials for Bud Light. You could even find merchandise with his name, like belt buckles, watches, and T-shirts. A Bodacious toy figurine was created in 2017, which came with a bull rider and rope.
Bodacious also appeared on TV shows. He was on "Guinness World Records Primetime" on Fox TV. He was also featured on the Cowboy Lifestyle Network. After he died, a documentary called "Fearless Bodacious" was filmed about him in 2004.
Many people honored Bodacious over the years. The band Primus dedicated a song to him called "Ballad of Bodacious." A ski company named a ski after him. A brewing company even named a beer "Goodnight Bodacious."
When Bodacious was 12 years old, he got a hoof infection. The medicine he took to treat it unfortunately hurt his kidneys. Because of this, he died from kidney failure on May 16, 2000. He passed away at the Andrews Rodeo Company Ranch. In 2004, the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show gave his owner a miniature bucking chute for Bodacious' grave.
Bodacious' Talented Offspring
Bodacious had many children, called "progeny," who also became successful bucking bulls in the PRCA and PBR. Some of his famous sons include Bo's Excuse, Erks Me, and Fender Bender. In 2008, four of his sons performed at a rodeo in Killeen, Texas. These sons were Red Onion, Pull the Trigger, and Fender Bender.
One of Bodacious' most successful sons is a bull named Midnight Bender. He won the PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year title in 2016. Midnight Bender bucks with a lot of energy and jumps high, just like his dad. He spends a lot of time in the air and kicks hard. Riders say he puts on a great show.
Another successful son is Beaver Creek Beau. He has been bucking in the top BFTS circuit since 2013. He is a big bull, weighing around 1,900 pounds (860 kg), similar to his father. He is very fast and has been a top contender for world champion bull.
In 2002, the Andrews Rodeo Company won the Stock Contractor of the Year award. This award recognized their ability to raise great rodeo animals, including Bodacious and many other bulls and broncs. Sammy Andrews, Bodacious' owner, was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2008.
Bodacious' Lasting Legacy
Bodacious became known as "the world's most dangerous bull" because he often injured riders. Tuff Hedeman received the worst injuries from Bodacious, with Scott Breding and Terry Don West also getting hurt. These injuries happened near the end of Bodacious' career in 1995. But at the same time, he was also called "the greatest bull ever to buck."
Tuff Hedeman once said that "even top-ranked guys who weren’t afraid of anything were definitely afraid of Bodacious." Just finishing a ride without injury was a huge success. Bodacious was so powerful that he could jump higher than the top of the bucking chute. This meant many riders were bucked off on his very first jump. His owner's wife, Caroline, said, "Bo's first jump when he left the chute resembled a roller coaster ride." Bodacious loved to get high in the air, and every time he jumped, he would often throw the rider forward, putting them in a position to get hurt by his head.
In 2013, the PBR asked bull riding fans about the greatest bulls, and Bodacious and Little Yellow Jacket were mentioned the most. In 2015, the PBR listed Bodacious as "one of the most famous bulls of all time." He is as popular as another famous bull named Bushwacker.
The ProRodeo Hall of Fame chose Bodacious in 1999. He was only the sixth bull to be inducted. He joined other amazing bulls like Skoal Pacific Bell, Red Rock, Oscar, and Jim Shoulders' Tornado. Most of these bulls had long careers, but Bodacious' professional career only lasted four years. In that short time, he bucked off 127 out of 135 riders.
In 2017, Bodacious was also inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame. In 1994 and 1995, the top cowboys voted him as the PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year. He was also chosen as the Bucking Bull of the NFR in 1992, 1994, and 1995.
Honors
- Two-time Dodge Bull of the Year
- 1992, 1994-95 PRCA Bucking Bull of the NFR
- 1993-94 PRCA Texas Circuit Bull of the Year
- 1994-95 PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year
- 1995 BRO Bull of the Year
- 1995 PBR World Champion Bucking Bull
- One of two bulls to win both the PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year and the PBR World Champion Bull (he did it in the same year!)
- 1999 Inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame
- 2017 Inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame
- 2019 Inducted into the PBR Heroes and Legends Celebration Brand of Honor
- 2020 Inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame
