PUEBLO, Colo. ― Red Wolf made sure toquickly instill his authority and dominance against BubbaDunn in 1995 in Rancho Murieta, Calif. In just 2.54seconds, he left the 2013 Ring of Honor inductee flat on the groundand in need of a five-stitch tattoo across his chin.
"He threw me down on his head," recalled Dunn, "clicked my heelsand popped me under the chin."
It was Red Wolf's second-year in the PBR, and just a dayearlier, the "big-boned" bull, as nine-time World ChampionTy Murray likes to call him, had bucked off fellowRing of Honor inductee (1996) Cody Lambert in 4.09seconds.
"He was a big bull," Lambert remembers, "but he felt even biggerwhen he was bucking."
Red Wolf was only 7 years old at the time. Yet, what makes the2013 Brand of Honor recipient so special was that he brought thatsame competitive fire and fierceness in 1995 all the way throughhis retirement following the 2000 World Finals as a12-year-old.
It was longevity like none other in bull riding.
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During his final two outs at the 2000 World Finals, Red Wolfposted a bull score of 45 points when Pete Hessmanrode him for 90 points, and then scored another 44 points whenJaron Nunnemaker picked up an 89.5-point ride.
The final buckoff of the bull's legendary career came two monthsearlier when he took care of business against CodyCuster in four seconds at the Oklahoma City event.
Some say it is unfathomable for a bull that old and large tobuck as strong as he did at the tail end of a career. Others areleft speechless when they try to explain it.
"Everything I have learned about bulls through my 43 years beingaround this sport, he wasn't supposed to do what he was able todo," Murray said. "He wasn't supposed to be able to do it for aslong as he did.
"I always thought he was a freak of nature."
Lambert was one of the judges during the 2000 Finals where RedWolf once again reminded everyone he still had what it takes to bea storied bucking bull.
"That longevity makes him one of the best all time," Lambertsaid. "When he retired, I thought he was the best there ever was. Inever thought in any particular year he was the very best going,but for an entire career, I thought he was the best there everwas."
PBR bull statistician Slade Long, who has observed over 30,000bulls in the past decade, said roughly 12,000 of them went on topost five or more career outs. It is even rarer for a bull to reach100 career outs. Long knows of only 65 bulls to ever surpass theprestigious century mark for career outs, Red Wolf being one ofthem.
"Not many bulls stay around that long or stay that good thatlong," said Long. "He is like Chicken on a Chainin that respect. He was at a high level for so long.
"When they rode (Red Wolf) at his last Finals, they made a90-point ride on him. Bulls that are 12 years old just don't make90-point rides. They are just not that good anymore. It justdoesn't happen."
Ty Murray rides Red Wolf at the 1999 World Finals. Photo byAndy Watson / BullStockMedia.com.
Murray, who successfully rode Red Wolf for 95.5 points atthe 1999 World Finals in what is known as the greatest night ofbull riding, compared him to NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice― if the wide receiver had weighed over 250 pounds.
"I have seen bulls that have had long careers, and I have seenbulls that have had amazing careers," Murray said. "You don'treally see one like that."
Red Wolf retired with a 57.78 career buckoff percentage in45-known BFTS outs. The 19 riders that were able to make thewhistle on him were rewarded with an average score of 91.82 points.Red Wolf appeared in six World Finals and finished second in 1997in the race for the PBR World Champion Bull title, as well as Bullof the Finals.
Beyond his performance in the PBR, Red Wolf was named the PRCABucking Bull of the Year and Sierra Circuit Bucking Bull of theYear in 1996. He competed multiple times at the NFR and was acontender for the NFR Bucking Bull of the Year in '94 and '96,while owned by Donnie Kish. Red Wolf was later sold to TerryWilliams and eventually to Herrington Cattle & Company.
As well as being known for his longevity, Red Wolf was known asa fierce competitor. He demonstrated a unique swagger in the arenaand had the personality of a champion. Whenever he wouldsuccessfully buck off a rider, Murray remembers the bovine taking a"high-headed" prance around the perimeter of the dirt with hischest pumped out confidently.
But if someone rode him ― or was close to riding him― well, they better watch out.
"Whenever guys rode him, which I did a bunch of times, he wouldwant to hook your ass when it was over, " Murray said. "Or if hecouldn't get to you, he would try and hook a gateman, a judge, oranybody he could get his hands on.
"Even if he couldn't run you over, he wanted to run somebodyover."
Lambert said, "He got mad as the ride went on. He had acompetitive fire and it pissed him off if somebody rode him oralmost rode him."
Lambert sensed that anger when he attempted to ride Red Wolf in1995. He had to purposely fall to the ground after being bucked offto avoid being kicked.
"I felt both my feet whip back behind me ― he was at thepeak of his jump ― when I came off, and I was right behind himthe whole way, dangling," Lambert remembers. "I was thinking thewhole way towards the ground that I was 10 inches behind him, andwhen he hits the ground, he is going to kick me."
After receiving five stitches courtesy of Red Wolf at the RanchoMurieta event, and still remembering the tragic death ofBrent Thurman at the 1994 NFR Finals when Red Wolfstepped on the 25-year-old, Dunn was obviously nervous when heclimbed aboard Red Wolf in 1999 in Charlotte, N.C.
However, what ensued was one of the greatest rides in PBRhistory, when the Alexandria, La., native conquered Red Wolf for 96points four years after his first encounter with the tough-as-nailsbull.
"He damn sure fired that night," recalled Dunn. "He come aroundright there and met me around the corner, got me reared back andhung over on the right side. I don't know. I just kept pumping ashard as I could and got back to him; and he went to the otherdirection and just finished it pretty strong."
Red Wolf was 11 years old and it was another example of thebull's long-term performance.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime deal," Dunn said. "It was amazing abull could buck that long during his career of bucking. It isunheard of.
"He had great days and he had good days. He never had baddays."
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko