George Paul Memorial Bull Riding

Tristen Hutchings wins 2nd George Paul Memorial Xtreme Bull Riding!

George Paul didn’t need rodeo, he chose it.
Born into the vastness of a million-acre Texas ranch, he could have lived comfortably without ever climbing on a bull. But comfort was never the point. From the start, he wanted one thing—to be the best. And he rode like it.
Known as perhaps the strongest bull rider the sport has ever seen, Paul put together a streak that still sounds unreal—79 straight qualified rides. Not luck. Not chance. Just raw power, balance, and an unshakable will.
In 1968, he reached the top, claiming the world championship in bull riding. But even before that, his arrival had already turned heads. In his rookie season, he was everywhere—placing at 30 rodeos, finishing second in the NFR average, and holding his own across multiple events. He didn’t just show up. He made an impact immediately.
Off the road, Paul lived fast in a different way too, piloting his own plane between rodeos, chasing the next competition, the next ride. But that pace came with a cost.
In 1970, at just 23 years old, George Paul’s life was cut short in a plane crash between Colorado and Wyoming. And what he left behind wasn’t just a championship, iIt was the sense that he was only getting started.
A talent that big doesn’t fade easily. It lingers in the question of what might have been.

SOURCE/GUIDE: PRORODEO HALL OF FAME
PHOTO: FIND A MEMORIAL GRAVE