The famous Bushwacker bull is still alive at 17 years old but has been in retirement for 8 years and is used for natural breeding. His net worth is estimated at $2,000,000 while his owner turned down offers of up to $800,000.
He is a three-time world champion. A superstar. The Michael Jordan of Bulls.
He is Bushwacker – the most famous bucking bull in rodeo history.
Everyone knows the name Bushwacker in the rodeo circuit, and the best in the business always praise his athletic ability and professionalism.
The bull Bushwacker has been compared to the likes of Seabiscuit and Secretariat by Cody Lambert, the PBR co-founder, who considered him a top-performing athlete amongst PBR legends including Asteroid, and Justin Mcbride.
Bushwacker has bested several of the world’s premier bullfighters including Cord Mccoy, Ty Murray, and Mike Lee throughout his career. Deemed “unrideable”, this World Champion bull is widely considered one of the best bulls the sport has ever known.
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Bushwacker’s Incredible Career
Bushwacker was born in California in 2006, sired by Reindeer Dippin (Bucking Bull of the Finals in NFR) and Lady Luck, a cow descended from Diamond’s Ghost.
According to Bushwacker’s owner, Julio Moreno, of Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls, Reindeer Dippin kicked nearly as hard as his son, which may have been foreshadowing the incredible future this bovine had ahead of him.
Bushwacker remained with Moreno until he was delivered into the capable hands of Kent Cox at his Texas training facility in 2008. Cox devoted his time to helping Bushwacker become a competitor in the ring.
In 2009, Bushwacker joined the Professional Bull Riders circuit and immediately made a name for himself. Unlike the other bulls, he was cool and collected in the chute, as still as a statue until he was released, at which point whatever poor soul brave enough to climb onto his back was flung off unceremoniously.
The first bullfighter to successfully ride him was Markus Mariluch in 2009 in Las Vegas followed by Thiago Paguioto, who has the distinction of being the first to ride him in the Built Ford Tough Series, the top tier of the competition.
After these rides, Bushwacker went on to rack up 42 consecutive buckoffs, earning himself a reputation that he was not to be taken lightly.
Only the most elite riders were ever allowed to ride him, as he solely appeared in 15/15 Bucking Battles and Championship rounds in the premier series.
Bushwacker’s incredible buckoff streak wasn’t broken until J.B. Mauney rode him in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2013 for a rodeo time of 8.1 seconds in the BFTS. No one else ever successfully rode him.
He retired as a legend in 2014 following the PBR World Finals, ending his career with a buckoff percentage of 96.96 percent with 64 buckoffs out of 66 ride attempts in BFTS with an average bull score of 46.162 points.
Bushwacker has held the PBR World Championship 3 times and has been a World Champion contender once. He was a wildcard champion in 2009 and an ABBI World Champion Classic Bull in 2010.
Bushwacker was awarded the PBR Brand of Honor in 2016 and made PBR history by accepting the award live. Subsequently, he was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in 2020 to stand aside legends Bruiser and Yellow Jacket, also three-time World Champions.
Bushwacker Bull Net Worth and Prize Money
As a PBR World Champion Bull, Bushwacker has earned more than $600,000 in prize money during his career but it pales in comparison to the money he’s made for his owner in retirement.
Bushwacker’s owner Julio Moreno, placed Bushwacker’s net worth at “2 million dollars”, as of his retirement in 2014. Moreno reportedly turned down an offer of $800,000 for Bushwacker, choosing instead to let him spend his golden years in a pasture with 21 cows of his own.
Calves sired by Bushwacker sell for between $50k and $100k each, and vials of his much sought-after sperm sell for $5,000 to $10,000 each, making Bushwacker a producer of liquid gold.
A Tribute To His Iconic Trainer
Kent Cox was Bushwacker’s trainer and helped him achieve unimaginable success throughout his career.
The pair had a close working relationship until February 27, 2014, when for unknown reasons, Kent was found dead by suicide, hanging from a noose in front of Bushwacker’s pen.
Those who worked closely with Kent described him as a funny and genial guy on the circuit, yet he was more than that and had an impact on many lives, both human and bovine.
He understood bulls in a way that most people never could. Once a rider, he had been horrifically maimed to such an extent that he never tried to ride again and certainly never rode Bushwacker.
His tragic accident gave way to a unique perspective and profound respect for these bulls, and an understanding of their nature that few could comprehend who hadn’t been in the ring with them, bleeding.
Kent ultimately helped make Bushwacker into the champion that he was, molding and refining that natural athletic ability he had been given, making Bushwacker one of the greatest bucking bulls the world had ever seen. Both of their names are forever stamped into the history of rodeo and entwined in the memories of those who knew them.
FAQs About Bushwacker
How Much Did Bushwacker Weigh?
Bushwacker began his career at 1400lbs and reached a top weight of 1700lbs before his first World Championship.
Is Bushwacker the Bull Still Alive?
Bushwacker is still alive and kickin’ and he was consulted as to who had the edge to win the PBR Championship in 2022. His final choice – Ridin’ Solo.
Ridin’ Solo went on to be crowned the YETI World Champion Bull title in 2022.
How Many Times Was Bushwacker Ridden?
Bushwacker has been successfully ridden only 3 times. The three people to ride him were Markus Mariluch (2009), Thiago Paguioto (2009), and J.B. Mauney (2013).