South Point Hotel and Casino Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding presented by Discount Tire
Returning to Las Vegas as the first ticketed event at the South Point Hotel and Casino, Tuff Hedeman brought his bull riding tour to the sold-out Arena crowd for what became a dream come true night show for the young cowboy from Porum, Oklahoma, who accepted his first check from Hedeman. Cravens earned the $15,125 jumbo check, trophy buckle and Panhandle prize package following his 91-point performance in the Shoot Out Round.
"This was the coolest bull riding I have ever been to, and I sure wish there was more of them," said Cravens.
“This was the coolest bull riding I have ever been to,” said Cravens following his first Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding tour event in Las Vegas.
“It is such an amazing honor to be back at the South Point, we were the last ticketed event here in March of 2020 and they had us back as the first after a tough year for all of us – I am grateful for that partnership and it made a lot of fans happy on Saturday night in Vegas,” said Hedeman.
Most 21-year-olds come to Las Vegas for the first time, but Cannon Cravens, who celebrated his milestone birthday in May, is more than familiar with the luck and lure of gambling on bull riding in Sin City.
Fans win big as the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour returns to Las Vegas
Born to a family of cowboys, Craven’s father, Michael, was an amateur bull rider and told Cannon's grandpa, Charlie, when Cannon was born that he was holding a future bull rider. Craven got on his first sheep three years later, followed by d his first steer at 9. He won the Oklahoma High School Finals as a freshman and then headed out to begin his pro bull riding career path by accepting an opportunity at 14 from former pro bull rider J.J. Jenkins.
It was that decision that changed his life. Cravens was getting on top-caliber bulls when he was just 14 in bull competition-style events, and the success earned him his own home at 16 years of age.
“LJ lives like five minutes away from me and pretty much taught me everything I know,” Cravens said. “I didn’t know how to ride bulls, honestly, and he just taught me the right way to ride them.”
ROUND ONE
Performing for not only a packed house, but the U.S. Airforce Thunderbirds, Florida cowboy Cullen Telfer was the first qualified ride of the night with 84.5 points on Tom Baker’s Rag Doll in the first section. Cravens would bring the crowd to their feet with the round tying 89.5 points to take the lead on x8 Beer Goggles.
“My first bull was one of JC Knapps and was, sure enough, a bucker, and I had seen him several times and felt like I knew what he was going to do if I stayed on him, I knew I would be close to 90, I had(never been on him but excited at the chance and knew he was capable of taking me to a round win.”
Garrett Jones was right behind him with an 86 point ride on Richardson’s 5 Go Blue. But F27 Slamma Jamma of Rawson’s.
Six riders thoroughly entertained the crowd by crossing the 6 second plus mark, with the crowd cheering them each time to make the whistle.
Cody Jesus returns to Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour riding with a second place finish and a 90.5 ride in the four man Shoot Out round.
SEMIFINAL ROUND
Four bull riders qualified by score, and 8 advanced on time for the second and semifinal round, but only survival was only had by two in the THT rank pen of buckers who decided to put on a show for the crowd. 7412 Slip Knot (Cunningham & Hurst) would bring the event co-leader down in less than 3 seconds.
"He just blew out of there, and I don't really remember much of that one; I had seen my buddy Mason ride him in El Paso, and I was excited to get him. He left the chute real hard and got me sitting back on my pockets," chuckled Cravens.
El Paso Champion Demetrius Mitchell made a stand at 91 points on T & G's 1663 Tony B, followed by Paulo Lima's 90 points to help Danny Mason's 4185 Accelerator be part of the bull team win.
SHOOT OUT
The top four scores after two rounds in the average advance to the sudden death Tuff Hedeman Shoot Out round, and after discussing the bulls with Hedeman, they were set to show Las Vegas how $30,000 is more easily won.
With zero bull riders making the whistle on two bulls, the event leader was Demetrius Mitchell with 91 in the semifinal round, earning selection number one from Hedeman’s list of buckers. He selected 7305 Flash of Lynda Hurst. The second to pick was Paulo Lima, who gambled on 334 Drifter... Cody Jesus chose 76D Brutal Player (Mason), which left Cravens with Barney Fife (Rawson).
“I knew I had a good bull underneath me, and he felt so good, lots of timing and the same thing every time."
"It was my first final four appearance, I was knocked out in the bucking chute in El Paso, but God was here with me tonight. I was calm,” said Cravens.
El Paso Champion Demetrius advances to the finals four with the highest score in the long rounds, 91 points.
THE BULL TEAM COMPETITION
Danny Mason might have swapped a bull around on his team. Still, his two utility player bulls, 55 Moneymaker and 3112 Dirty Blonde, once again anchored the team for the second consecutive week as he continued his sweep during the openings rounds of the Tuff Hedeman Bull Team Tour in 2021.
Mason Bucking Bulls wins back to back checks and titles on the return of the 2021 Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour
A former bull rider, Mason, is tuned into the bulls he would want to get on and is a critic of his team players from week to week - that edge proved to be successful.
Dirty Blonde, who, according to Mason, tends to be lazy if he's not bucked consistently, was on the bubble of the draw, according to his owner/driver. Still, in the end, Mason decided he was a little lazy in El Paso, so he needed to work in Las Vegas. Paired with 55 Moneymaker and new bull 4185 Accelerator, Mason's team won the competition with 280.72 points, 2.9 points ahead of the second-place team of Mike Rawson's who also earned a check with just one qualified ride.
BULL TEAM RESULTS
1, Danny Mason, Mineral Wells, TX, 280.72 points, $22,000. 2, Rawson Bucking Bulls, 277.82 pts, $16,500. 3, Cunningham & Hurst, 276.36 pts, $11,000. 4, T&G Bucking Bulls, 275.59 pts, $5,500.
BULL RIDER RESULTS
1, Cannon Cravens, Porum, OK, 91 points on Barney Fife (Rawson Bucking Bulls) $15,125.00. 2, Cody Jesus, Window Rock, AZ, 90.5 pts on, $8,375.00. 3, Paula Lima, 4, Demetrius Mitchell, $1,750. Paulo Lima, $1,750.
