Draft:Cody Custer

Cody Mark Custer (born August 30, 1965) is an American retired professional bull rider. He won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding world championship in 1992, and was a co-founder of and was later honored by the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Ring of Honor in 2003. Custer was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in 2019.

Early life

Custer was born in Kingman, Arizona. He began riding bulls at age 13 and won Wickenburg High School championships in 1983 and 1984 before joining the PRCA in 1985.

Bull riding career

Custer qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas every year from 1987 through 1992, when he won the PRCA bull riding world championship. His notable rides included a 94-point score on Growney Brothers' Wolfman in Round 10 of the 1991 National Finals Rodeo and a 90-point ride on Skoal Pacific Bell at the 1988 Grand National Rodeo in San Francisco.

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame credits Custer as the Turquoise Circuit bull riding champion from 1989 through 1992, the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo bull riding champion from 1990 through 1992, and the 1992 Original Coors Rodeo Showdown bull riding champion. He also won bull riding titles at rodeos including California Rodeo Salinas, Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Cody Stampede, the Grand National Stock Show & Rodeo, and Pendleton Round-Up.

After a series of injuries following his 1992 championship season, Custer returned to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in 1998 and 1999. He also qualified for both the PBR World Finals and the National Finals Rodeo in 1998 and 1999, then focused solely on PBR competition beginning in 2000.

In 2001, Custer finished eighth in the PBR world standings, his highest year-end PBR ranking. He retired from professional bull riding in 2003.

In a 2014 article for The New Yorker, Dana Goodyear described Custer's career as lasting about 20 years and reported that his injuries included a collapsed lung, broken ribs, a broken jaw, shoulder and knee surgeries, and multiple concussions. The article also noted that he had won a world championship in 1992 and had been elected to the PBR Ring of Honor in 2003.

Custer also worked as a riding stand-in for Lane Frost's character in the 1994 film 8 Seconds.

Honors and later work

The PBR describes its Ring of Honor as the highest honor a professional bull rider can receive. Custer was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2003, alongside Aaron Semas and Myrtis Dightman. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in 2019.

After retiring from competition, Custer taught bull riding clinics. The Western Sports Foundation reported in 2025 that he led clinics around the United States and worked with young riders on both riding skills and conduct outside the arena. In 2025, the foundation named him the recipient of its Ted Weise Memorial Award, which recognizes service, mentorship, and faith in the western sports community.

In 2019, Bucking Stock Talk Magazine reported that Custer had served as PBR director of judging and on the organization's Rules and Regulations Committee. In the same article, Custer discussed teaching young riders through clinics and emphasized progressive training, confidence, and age-appropriate stock for developing bull riders.

Personal life

Custer has spoken publicly about his Christian faith. In a profile published by the Christian Broadcasting Network, he discussed the role of faith in his life after professional bull riding.