Linderman, Bud

Bud Linderman was a true cowboy in every sense. He competed in five different rodeo events, with the biggest highlight of his career coming in 1945, when he claimed the bareback riding world championship. That season, he also finished third in saddle bronc riding and third in the all-around. Linderman was reserve world champion in bareback riding in 1946-47 and third in ’48. He was fifth in saddle bronc riding in 1949-50, and also competed in bull riding, steer wrestling, calf roping and team roping during his career, which spanned 1940-57. Linderman was a great all-around cowboy, like his older brother, Bill, who was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1979. Bud was known for his incredible toughness, and he displayed that grit throughout his career. He suffered a broken neck after being thrown from a saddle bronc horse in 1957 in Houston, yet still somehow walked out of the arena. A cowboy in attendance that day said, “Bud bucked off, got to his feet and walked out of the arena. Then, a few minutes later, he was strapped to a board in the ambulance.” ProRodeo Hall of Famer Gene Pruett once said of Linderman, “Probably one of the best bareback riders that ever lived. A tough, rugged competitor, and loaded with ability, he was perfectly capable of winning any event on the rodeo program.” Linderman died at the age of 39 due to a lung hemorrhage brought on by pneumonia. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2016.