Tuf Hedeman is one of the greatest cowboys to step foot in the rodeo arena. When it comes to his rookie year, he describes it as below average.
Hedeman filled his PRCA permit early in 1983 by winning $1,748 at his hometown rodeo in El Paso in the saddle bronc riding.
“I had a hard time getting it, back then they had so many entries in the bull riding, it was hard to get into a lot of rodeos… As soon as I got my card I started entering the bull riding,” he said.
The rookie title was not within Hedeman’s view in 1983 but the following year, he would make his first National Finals Rodeo and go on to have a Hall of Fame worthy career.