“In just a few seconds, everything changed.” Man Hater came out of the chute the way he always did, exploding into the arena with the kind of power that made people hold their breath.
“In just a few seconds, everything changed.” Man Hater came out of the chute the way he always did, exploding into the arena with the kind of power that made people hold their breath. But then, around the six-second mark, his back leg seemed to give out — a tiny misstep that no one in the crowd had time to fully understand. Those who were there said it all unfolded almost instantly: the noise turned into silence, and the champion bull was taken out of the arena moments later. Hours later, the PBR world was hit with heartbreaking news when doctors confirmed the injury was too severe.
“Man Hater,” Famed PBR Bull, Dies After Injury
The Two-Time Champion Bull Was Ranked No. 9 In The World
On Saturday, March 7, the second day of the Kubota PBR Unleash The Beast in Little Rock, Arkansas, one of the most popular bulls in professional bull riding was injured.
Man Hater, owned by Jane Clark and the late Gene Owen, was transported out of the arena after suffering an injury to his back left leg. According to Rodeo Roundtable, this injury was sustained in the first six seconds of his ride and was attributed to a misstep.
Taken to Oklahoma State University for evaluation, it was reported that Man Hater’s injuries were too severe, so the bull was euthanized.
Last year, Man Hater won the YETI World Champion Bull title for the second year in a row, having previously won in 2024. The bull was ranked No. 9 in the world, boasting an 85% buckoff rate with a buckoff streak of five.
According to the obituary for Man Hater’s late owner, Gene Owen, who died in 2025, “[Man Hater] helped redefine unrideable and brought record breaking scores along with it.”
See Man Hater’s final ride, which begins about 40 seconds into this clip, and pay special attention to his back left leg, here:
Watch PBR commentator Craig Hummer discuss Man Hater’s injury, here:
While bull riding is most often thought of as a bull rider’s competition, it’s also a competition for the bulls.
Upon learning of Man Hater’s death, PBR athlete John Crimber wrote on Instagram, “Thank you Man Hater for not only giving me my best ride of my career so far, but for giving me the confidence that I can do much more than what I expected from myself.”
He added, “I’m very thankful that I got to put my rope on one that is the exact definition of what an animal athlete is supposed to be like.”
Read John Crimber’s tribute to Man Hater, here:
Rewatch Alan de Souza’s 2025 YETI World Championship ride of Man Hater, here: