Gary Leffew is an icon in more than just bull riding and rodeo. Known as the rodeo guru, the 1970 World Champion Bull Rider and Hall of Famer has continued to impact the western world to this day.
Leffew grew up on a ranch in California and found friends in the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. His father used to tell him to stay away from the motorcycles, they were dangerous, ride bulls instead. It was a trip to the Clovis Rodeo with his biker friends, where Leffew got hooked on bull riding after he climbed aboard NFR bucking bull, Ice Man.
“One of the old timers told, he said, ‘Get on every bull you can as often as you can and put out 110% every time’,” Leffew said.
For the next year, Leffew practiced hard and it was the beginning of a history making career. His first NFR came in 1966 and the competition picked up. George Paul, Freckles Brown and more were a part of the competition in the 60’s.
In 1968, Leffew’s mentality changes. He began to visualize what he was capable of and when he nodded his head in Denver, he was radiating confidence. He ended up runner up for the championship and learned the importance of the mental side of rodeo. Leffew went on to go back and forth with some of the best bull riders to ever and he accomplished his goal of riding ten bulls a the NFR and wining the World Championship as well as the average.