Name Charles Sampson | Role Bull rider | |
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Bucking bull typhoon rider charles sampson
Charles "Charlie" Sampson (born July 2, 1957) is the 1982 World Champion bull rider. He is the first black cowboy to win a World Title in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1996..
Contents
- Bucking bull typhoon rider charles sampson
- Early life
- Career
- Injuries
- Retirement
- Wins and awards
- Honors
- References
Early life
Sampson was born in Los Angeles on July 2, 1957. To avoid the violence that surrounded him as a boy, he took a job at a riding stables near Gardena, CA. There he sparked an interest in horses and rodeo. He was a fan of the Jackie Robinson of rodeo Myrtis Dightman.
Career
Sampson stands 5 ft 4in tall. He was a ground breaking rodeo cowboy. He was the first Afro-American to win a world title in the PRCA. In 1983, there were only six black members of the PRCA. Sampson was competing on a national level. Sampson very rarely mentioned race as an issue, even though he was competing in a sport dominated by white competitors. Sampson once said in the New York Times, "I haven't encountered discrimination as much as ignorance. Some people still don't realize that something like a quarter of all the cowboys back in the old West were black." Although downplaying the race issue in his own career, Sampson has admitted that he saw the bull riding as a way to "ride" out of the ghetto. He also has spoken often to minority youngsters in inner city schools, telling them that positive thinking, goal setting, and hard work can help them achieve success in their lives. He always had the respect of his fellow World Champion bull riders including, Don Gay, Tuff Hedeman, Ted Nuce, and Ty Murray.
Injuries
He is known for his many injuries as well. Sampson's left calf has taken a bad beating over the years, and is now wired together by screws, 17 pins, and two metal plates. Recounting his various injuries as a bull rider in the New York Times Magazine, Sampson noted, "In 1983, a bull jerked me down and cracked my skull--I broke every bone in my face except my nose. I broke my ankle, my leg, my sternum, my wrist. In '88, I had an ear ripped off when a bull ran over me and his foot caught my hat." He now has a prosthesis for the missing ear in 1983 at the Presidential Command Performance he shattered his face in a riding accident in front of Ronald Reagan. His PRCA career lasted almost 20 years, with 11 National Finals Rodeo trips.
Retirement
He was always a fan favorite, displaying his fearless riding style. He retired at the Dodge National Circuit Finals in Pocatello, Idaho, in 1994. He spent his retirement doing ads for companies like Wrangler Jeans and Timex. His ground-breaking efforts in rodeo did not go unnoticed. In the 1996, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.