Charles Sampson
Encyclopedia
Charles "Charlie" Sampson (born July 2, 1957 in Los Angeles
, California
) is the 1982 World Champion Bull Rider. He is the first Afro-American to win a World Title in the PRCA
. Sampson stands 5ft 4in tall. He was the first Afro-American to win a world title in the PRCA. 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
, Tuff Hedeman
, Ted Nuce, and Ty Murray
.
. His PRCA career lasted almost 20 years, with 11 NFR trips.
6 time nfr world champion
and Timex
. His ground breaking efforts in rodeo did not go un-noticed. In the 1990s he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame
.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) is the 1982 World Champion Bull Rider. He is the first Afro-American to win a World Title in the PRCA
PRCA
PRCA may refer to:*Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association*Protestant Reformed Churches in America*Public Relations Consultants Association*Pure red cell aplasia*Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, a school in Oro Valley, Arizona...
Early life
Sampson was a ground breaking rodeo cowboyCowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
. Sampson stands 5ft 4in tall. He was the first Afro-American to win a world title in the PRCA. 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
Myrtis Dightman
Myrtis Dightman is a Champion Afro-American Bull Rider from the 1960s and 70s. Born in 1935 in Crockett, TX. Myrtis was a successful rodeo bull rider during the 1960s & 1970s. He is considered to be the Jackie Robinson of modern American Rodeo. Myrtis started his career as a Bull Fighter then...
Career
In 1983, there were only 6 black members of the PRCA. Charles was competing on a national level. Charlie very rarely mentioned race as an issue, even though he was competing in a sport dominated by white competitors. Charles 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 GayDon Gay
Don "Donnie" Gay is an eight-time PRCA world champion bullrider. Born in 1953 to Neal and Evelyn "Cookie" Foster and was only a year old when she died of leukemia. Kay Gay raised Donny and Pete as her own.. He grew up in Mesquite, Texas, and started rodeo at age 6. His father is Neal Gay, a...
, Tuff Hedeman
Tuff Hedeman
Richard Neale "Tuff" Hedeman is a retired 3 time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Champion bull rider, as well as the 1995 Professional Bull Riders World Champion, and is the current president of Championship Bull Riding...
, Ted Nuce, and Ty Murray
Ty Murray
Ty Monroe Murray is a nine-time World Champion rodeo cowboy and co-founder and board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders.-Early life:...
.
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 ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. His PRCA career lasted almost 20 years, with 11 NFR trips.
Wins & Awards
- World Champion bull rider, 1982
- Sierra Circuit bull riding champion, 1984
- Turquoise Circuit bull riding champion, 1985–86 and 1993.
- Copenhagen/Skoal bull riding champion, 1992
- Calgary Stampede $50,000 bonus round bull riding champion
- 2-time bull riding champion at Pendleton Round-Up
- 2-time Grand National Rodeo (Cow Palace) champion
- 2-time bull riding champion at California Rodeo (Salinas)
- 2-time winner of Del Rio George Paul Memorial bull-riding buckle
- Rodeo Superstars Championship
- Named to Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, 1996
6 time nfr world champion
Retirement
He was always a fan favorite, displaying his fearless riding style. He retired at the Dodge National Circuit Finals in Pocatello, ID, in 1994. He spent his retirement doing adds for companies like Wrangler JeansWrangler Jeans
Wrangler is a manufacturer of jeans and other clothing items. The brand is owned by the VF Corporation, who also own Lee, JanSport and The North Face, among others. Its headquarters is in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, with production plants in a variety of locations throughout the world...
and Timex
Timex Group
Timex Group B.V., or Timex Group, is a Dutch holding company headquartered in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, and the corporate parent of several watchmaking companies around the globe including Timex Group USA, Inc., TMX Philippines, Inc., and Timex Group India Ltd...
. His ground breaking efforts in rodeo did not go un-noticed. In the 1990s he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame
ProRodeo Hall of Fame
The ProRodeo Hall of Fame is dedicated to the preservation of rodeo artifacts and continued interest in the sport. It is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and run by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's board. It claims to be the "only museum in the world devoted exclusively to the...
.