WEATHERFORD, Texas -- For 25 years, four-time world champion bull rider and pro rodeo Hall of Famer Tuff Hedeman has been supporting the rodeo industry's next generation cowboys by hosting budding bull riders at his annual Fort Worth Championship Bull Riding, which returns this year at the Cowtown Coliseum in the historic Fort Worth stockyards on Saturday night at 8 PM.

"These junior riders are this country's future to carry on the cowboy tradition, and we need to start offering support and mentoring earlier to the kids out there that are interested in the sport," Hedeman said.

As part of the silver anniversary celebration of the Tuff Hedeman Championship Bull Riding, the Cripple Creek Junior Championship Bull Riding and the Twisted J Stick Bull Riding will keep the cowboy tradition staying alive by spotlighting the youngsters who will have the opportunity to exhibit their bull riding talent.

They're excellent athletes who have earned the privilege of riding here," Hedeman said. "All kids can look up to them. It's a great experience for the other kids and I know spectators really enjoy the youth bull riders.

It is more than an exhibition. It is all business on the back of the chutes for these already heavily decorated young athletes. Each participant will take home a Cripple Creek vest, a new Resistol cowboy hat, and a Roughstock shirt from Panhandle Slim, and a pair of Cinch Jeans. The winner will be presented with a custom-engraved Juan Munoz trophy buckle and a pair of premium Lucchese boots. The total purse for the Cripple Creek Junior Championship Challenge is over $2,000, with each rider receiving a check at the end of the competition.

Each year Hedeman taps the champions from the top youth bull riding organizations when issuing the special invitations to the junior competition. The Twisted J Stick bull riding is open to the public and kids can enter by emailing stickbullrider@aol.com.

Hedeman's annual bull riding extravaganza features the Cripple Creek Junior Championship Bull Riding, which is held during intermission of the one-night-only performance with the Twisted J Stick bull riding, beginning at 7 PM.

The Cowtown Coliseum was the original home to the first Tuff Hedeman Championship Challenge in 1992 and is one of the original big-money, standalone bull riding competitions.

Doors open at 6:30 PM with the Stick bull riding at 7, and the professionals will take to the chutes at 8. 

Twenty-nine of the world's best bull riders will be competing in a three-round tournament-style event.

The 12 most successful competitors will advance to a semifinals round, with the top four qualifying for the Shoot Out where the bulk of $30,000 in prize money will be paid. The tournament-style format appeals to new spectators and established fans alike, as riders may get on as many as three bulls in one night.
These action-packed performances have been known to keep fans on the edge of their seats and earned the CBR's reputation of putting on world-class entertaining events. That is largely due to the influence of Hedeman. Not only is he the centerpiece of the bull riding that carries his name, but he will also be coordinating every element to assure fans, bull riders, and everyone involved have a great experience.

In addition to lucrative prize money, bull riders accumulate points which qualify them for the World Finals, which will be in Wyoming in July as part of the historical Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration. Those points become very important as the rider who ends the world finals at the top of the standings will be crowned the CBR world champion and will receive a $100,000 bonus.

The competition is also part of the CBR Million Dollar Bull Team Challenge. Bull owners will bring three bulls that are featured during the first two rounds of competition. Those bulls will each be scored for their performance and earn additional points for how long the rider stays on. At the end of the night, the owner with the highest total points will receive $20,000.

Tickets are available ticketmaster.com.

Courtesy of CBRBull.com

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