Bodacious
Master of Disaster
The Official Biography of the Baddest Bull to Ever Buck
He became the most feared bull in rodeo history—an unmistakably yellow, near-ton force of nature whose name still commands awe decades after his final out. But behind the famous wrecks, world championships, and enduring mythology is a story that has never been fully told.
Drawing on years of research and firsthand interviews with the people who knew him, cared for him, and faced him in the arena, Bodacious: Master of Disaster tells the true story of the legendary bull—and the generation of cowboys whose courage, careers, and lives became forever entwined with his.
Forthcoming from Alderbrook Press
Bodacious did not become a legend overnight. His story began far from the bright lights and packed grandstands, before the world championships, record-setting scores, and devastating wrecks that made his name synonymous with danger. Bodacious: Master of Disaster traces his unlikely journey from an unremarkable yellow calf to the most feared—and unforgettable—bucking bull in rodeo history.
But this is not Bodacious’s story alone. It is also the story of the bull riders whose careers were defined, altered, or nearly ended by the seconds they spent on his back; the stock contractors who recognized his extraordinary ability and cared for him away from the arena; and the bullfighters who placed themselves between nearly a ton of muscle and a fallen cowboy. It follows the men whose friendships, rivalries, ambitions, and losses shaped a defining era of bull riding.
Moving beyond the familiar highlight reels and legends, the book reveals the lives behind the famous encounters—what came before the chute opened and what remained after the crowd went home. Together, these intertwined stories form a deeply human portrait of courage, loyalty, fear, loss, and the relentless pursuit of greatness—and of the extraordinary bull who brought their paths together.
The Story
Why This Book
Bodacious has long been remembered through fragments: a handful of famous rides, devastating wrecks, championship moments, and stories repeated until the bull himself became almost inseparable from the legend. But his life was far larger than the seconds captured on arena footage. He deserves a biography that traces his entire journey—from the overlooked yellow calf no one could have predicted would matter, to the extraordinary animal who changed bull riding and became one of the most recognizable figures in rodeo history.
Bodacious: Master of Disaster moves beyond the familiar highlight reels to uncover the complete story behind them. It explores who Bodacious was away from the arena, the people who raised and cared for him, and the riders, bullfighters, stock contractors, and families whose lives became connected to his. Rather than treating those men as names beneath famous scores or footage of spectacular wrecks, the book restores the histories, relationships, ambitions, sacrifices, and consequences surrounding every legendary encounter.
At its heart, this book is an act of preservation. Many of the people who lived this history have never been asked to tell their full stories, and with each passing year, memories risk being lost. Through extensive firsthand interviews and careful historical research, Maywald is preserving their voices while they can still speak for themselves—separating fact from folklore and creating a lasting record of Bodacious, the people who knew him, and the era they shaped together.
Behind the Research
For years, TG Maywald has worked to reconstruct the complete story of Bodacious through the voices of those who knew him best. Her research draws on extensive firsthand interviews with world champion bull riders, stock contractors, bullfighters, family members, and others who witnessed the events and lived through the era.
Those conversations reach beyond remembered rides and arena records. They reveal what happened behind the chutes, on the road, at the ranch, and in the years before and after Bodacious entered their lives. By comparing personal accounts and returning to interview subjects as new details emerge, Maywald works to reconcile conflicting memories, separate documented history from rodeo folklore, and recover stories that have never been told publicly.
Archival materials, historical records, photographs, footage, newspaper coverage, rodeo results, and other contemporary sources provide further context and verification. Together, this research forms the foundation of Bodacious: Master of Disaster—a work of narrative nonfiction built from the historical record and the memories of the people who were there.
From the People Who Were There
“If anyone tells you they weren’t scared to get on him, they’re lying.”
—Aaron Semas, Retired Bull Rider
“Nobody wanted to draw that dang bull.”
—Cody Custer, Retired Bull Rider
“Even his ears had muscles.”
—Bob Tallman, Rodeo Announcer
“The locker room was different when he was on the day sheet.”
—Rob Smets, Retired Bullfighter
“He scattered my chickens.”
—Bubba Dunn, Retired Bull Rider
“There’s never been another like him.”
—Jim Sharp, Retired Bull Rider
Bodacious: Master of Disaster is forthcoming from Alderbrook Press. Follow TG Maywald for behind-the-scenes research, stories from the people who lived this history, publication updates, and future announcements.