He didn’t grow up behind the chutes or in a rodeo family at all. In fact, for most of his early years, bull riding was something Hudson Bolton and his brother watched from the stands. Every year, Tuff Hedemen had a bull riding in their hometown of Milan, Tennessee. The boys would take their buddies and go watch growing up.
The brothers always wanted to give it a try, and finally found a little rodeo to go get on. It did not take long for to know that this was something he wanted to pursue.
“Ever since I got on my first little mini bull, yeah, I was hooked on it after that,” said Bolton.
That first mini bull ride sparked a passion that has now earned him one of professional bull riding's biggest honors - the 2025 PBR Rookie of the Year.
Hudson was drafted to the New York Mavericks in 2024. He entered the season under the radar as a name few knew, but he didn’t stay there for long. Bolton kicked off his season strong, riding at only four events before a torn groin sidelined him. He returned later, riding in only twelve events.
“I wish I could have gotten on the whole season and seen what happened,” he says. “But I took the right amount of time off so I could heal up 100%. When I was coming back, I felt really good.”
Even with a shortened season, Bolton climbed to No. 7 in the world, after a standout performance at the World Finals, clinching Rookie of the Year. Although a world title has always been a dream, Rookie of the Year was the goal Hudson made from the start.
“You only get one shot at it, and that’s what I really wanted to get done this year,” Bolton explained.
There were many standout rides in Hudson's rookie year, but one that shifted his perspective was when he rode the legendary Cool Whip for 88.25 points at 2025 Unleash the Beast PBR Tacoma Championship Round.
“When I rode Cool Whip, that opened my eyes,” Bolton says. “It was like, hey, I’m actually here and I can compete with these guys and ride some of these bull's other guys can’t. That gave me a huge confidence booster.”
Now Bolton is taking that confidence into the rest of his career and making big goals along the way. While the PBR season has slowed down, Hudson took off on the rodeo trail with an ambitious goal of becoming the first guy to win both PBR Rookie of the Year and PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year in the same season.
The Rookie of the Year titles are so prestigious, because they can only be won once in your career, and in your first year. Hudson accomplished the first half of that goal, and he currently sits in the top 10 of the rookie standings in the PRCA Bull Riding, with a lot of season remaining.
As apart of the New York Mavericks PBR Team, coached by Mr. Kody Lostroh, Hudson credits the team experience to much of his success.
“Being a part of the team has helped me a ton. I mean Kody Lostroh, he is a world champion and he knows what it takes,” Hudson said. “He has been around for a long time and if I am having trouble with anything he always can give me some good advice. He has gone through everything we go through. I am glad to have him as a coach, I have learned a lot from him.”
He also gives credit and thanks to his supportive family, and to rodeo legend Gary Leffew, for helping shape both his riding and his mindset.
“It really is a mental game. Being a rookie and under the big lights, and against all the guys you have always looked up to, it can weigh on your head a little bit and let you make some mistakes,” he said. “ I just try to trust myself and the work I have done. Go out there, do what I know and let my body be in control."
While Rookie of the Year titles are a major accomplishment in Boltons career, it is far from the end for him. He is looking ahead with even bigger goals, with sights on world titles, broken records, and a lasting legacy in the sport.
“I want to be a world champ in the PBR and PRCA,” Bolton says. “I want to be known as one of the greats, like JB Mauney or Lane Frost. People who don’t even follow bull riding still know who guys like them are, I want to be remembered that way.”
Photo Courtesy of Bull Stock Media