Cody Webster "Web" never wanted to ride bulls. From the time he was a kid, he knew exactly where he belonged — running toward them.
Growing up in Oklahoma, Webster spent his childhood dressing up as a rodeo clown and bullfighter every Halloween, already dreaming of the job that would eventually be his life. At just 10 years old, he met legendary bullfighter Frank Newsom, a moment that changed everything. Newsom soon moved only a few miles away, and Webster began spending nearly every day at his mentor’s house — training, working out and learning the craft of protecting riders inside the arena. What started as a childhood obsession quickly became a calling.
When Webster turned 18, he applied for his PBR card and began working Touring Pro Division events before earning the call every bullfighter hopes for — the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas in 2014. From that moment forward, Webster cemented himself as one of the premier bullfighters in the sport, known for his fearless approach, quick instincts and relentless commitment to rider safety.
Now considered the veteran leader of the United States Border Patrol Safety Team, Webster embraces the responsibility that comes with protecting the world’s best bull riders during the most dangerous eight seconds in sports. Whether engaging a bull after a hard wreck or reacting instantly when a rider is knocked unconscious, his mindset remains simple: keep the bull’s attention at all costs and get it out of the arena.
The job demands elite athleticism and preparation. Webster trains year-round with functional and CrossFit-style workouts, practices on live cattle to stay sharp and approaches the role like any professional athlete preparing for game day. The physical toll is real — in 2025 he underwent major shoulder reconstruction surgery after tearing multiple ligaments — but he returned months ahead of schedule, determined to keep doing the job he loves.
One of the wildest moments of Webster’s career came when High Brow Cat launched both him and rider Ty Hamilton high into the air at AT&T Stadium, a wreck Webster still counts among the most memorable of his career.
Webster’s résumé reflects the consistency and respect he’s earned across both rodeo and professional bull riding. He is the 2020, 2021 and 2022 PRCA Bullfighter of the Year, a 10-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) bullfighter, a 10-time PBR World Finals bullfighter, and a 3-time PBR Velocity Tour Finals bullfighter. He has also been named a 12-time PRCA Bullfighter of the Year nominee, won the California Rodeo Salinas Freestyle Bullfighting Championship three times, and captured the 2009 World Champion Bullfighter title early in his career.
Outside the arena, Webster and his wife, Ashley, run a ranch where they raise cattle and enjoy the quieter side of Western life. When he’s not protecting riders on the dirt, he spends time teaching the next generation of bullfighters through bull schools, passing along the knowledge once given to him by Newsom.
Fueled by black coffee mixed with Muscle Milk and the occasional post-event burger, Webster brings the same blue-collar mindset to bullfighting that defines the sport itself. And while many athletes dream of avoiding danger, Webster built his life running straight toward it.
Lucas Teodoro "LT" has spent a lifetime proving that instinct, faith and consistency can take you anywhere — all the way from the bullfighting pens of Brazil to the biggest stages in professional bull riding.
Born and raised in Pinhal, São Paulo, Brazil, Teodoro first dreamed of riding bulls. But around age 13, everything changed when he met a bullfighter who invited him into the arena and offered to help teach him. Teodoro started going to weekend jackpots near his hometown, helping out however he could just to stay close to the action. Once he stepped into that world, he was hooked. For the next three years, he studied the craft, practiced relentlessly and learned what it meant to protect riders in the arena.
At 16, Teodoro worked his first rodeo as a professional bullfighter, launching a career that would span more than a decade in Brazil before bringing him to the United States. After building his name on the Brazilian rodeo scene and working PBR Brazil events, Teodoro chased the dream he had carried since he was young: fighting bulls in America. He began taking English classes to prepare for the move, first traveling to the United States in late 2012 before eventually settling in Texas full-time in 2015.
In the years since, Teodoro has become one of the most respected members of the United States Border Patrol Safety Team, bringing experience, calm and athleticism to one of the toughest jobs in Western sports. Widely recognized as the first Brazilian bullfighter to work PBR events in the United States, he has helped pave the way for others while building an accomplished résumé of his own, including six appearances at the PBR World Finals and two appearances at the PBR Velocity Tour Finals.
Teodoro approaches bullfighting with the same discipline he brings to every part of life. He trains three to four times a week with functional and CrossFit-style workouts, says a prayer in the arena before and after every performance, and leans on faith to stay grounded when the pressure is highest. His mindset is simple: trust the preparation, react without hesitation and never overthink a job that demands split-second instincts.
That preparation has helped him endure the physical toll of the profession. Over the years, Teodoro has battled through a broken arm, a bull horn driven into his leg that required surgery, and lingering knee and thumb issues that come with the job. Even so, he has remained steady, reliable and deeply committed to his teammates, embracing the family atmosphere that defines the locker room.
Away from the arena, Teodoro is a husband and father of two who values family above everything. He and his wife, Ingrid, are raising their children, Gabriel and Giovanna, in Texas, where Teodoro also enjoys horses, fishing and spending time outdoors. He carries his Bible in his bag, drinks black coffee — including coffee from his own family’s brand — and prefers a clean meal like steak, fish, rice and vegetables when the weekend winds down.
Nicknamed “LT” and known in Brazil as “Gaúcho,” Teodoro has built a career on perseverance, humility and passion for the sport. From a teenage kid learning in practice pens in Brazil to one of the top bullfighters in the world, his journey is a testament to where hard work and heart can lead.
Austin Ashley "Double A" grew up around bullfights, watching the action unfold from the fence and dreaming of the day he would be the one stepping into the arena. For the Oklahoma native, bullfighting wasn’t something he discovered later in life — it was something that surrounded him from the beginning.
One of the bullfighters who practiced near Ashley’s home when he was young was Cody Webster, the man who would eventually become his mentor, teammate and close friend. At just 13 years old, Ashley began training under Webster, often traveling to his house to practice and learn the craft. What started as a kid studying the moves of his hero eventually came full circle when the two would stand side-by-side protecting riders at the highest levels of rodeo.
That moment came in 2025 when Ashley earned one of the most coveted positions in Western sports — bullfighter at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Selected by the top 15 bull riders in the world to help protect them during rodeo’s championship event, Ashley stepped into the arena alongside veterans Cody Webster and Dusty Tuckness, a moment he calls a dream come true.
Ashley’s style is quick, instinctive and fearless in the middle of chaos. His job begins the moment the latch cracks.
“It’s like reading a book,” Ashley says. “You’re watching how the bull is bucking and how the rider is riding. Those details tell you what your next step needs to be.”
Growing up in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, Ashley competed in football, track and rodeo in high school, playing multiple positions on the football field while also excelling in track and field events like discus. But bullfighting always held his focus.
The job isn’t without its scars. When he was just 16 years old, a bull slammed him against the fence and drove a horn into his mouth, knocking out several teeth. Ashley finished the weekend before heading home to get them repaired — a moment that cemented his toughness and commitment to the craft.
Now 24, Ashley continues to rise through the ranks of professional bullfighting. He trains with functional and CrossFit-style workouts several times a week to stay sharp inside the arena, where split-second reactions can be the difference between safety and disaster.
Outside the arena, Ashley keeps life simple. His go-to road snack is beef jerky and a sugar-free Red Bull, his favorite post-event meal is a cheeseburger, and his loyal blue heeler Sixx — named after Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe — is never far from home. When he does get a rare break, he dreams of traveling to Spain to watch traditional bullfighting or visiting Australia.
Most weeks, though, Ashley is exactly where he wants to be — in the dirt, protecting bull riders during the toughest eight seconds in sports.
Knox “Monkey or Monk” Dunn grew up around cattle and bucking bulls in Louisiana, making a career in bullfighting feel almost inevitable. But unlike many in rodeo, Dunn discovered quickly that riding bulls wasn’t his path. At 15 years old he climbed on one bull, decided that was enough, and the following week bought the gear to start bullfighting instead.
From that moment on, he committed fully to learning the craft. Dunn began fighting bulls at local events around South Louisiana and gained guidance from some of the sport’s most respected veterans, including Cody Webster and Dusty Tuckness, whose experience and mentorship helped shape his approach inside the arena.
A native of Slaughter, Louisiana, Dunn grew up in a family deeply connected to bucking bulls. Today he and his brother still raise and own bucking bulls themselves, meaning even when he’s home, he rarely gets far away from the animals that define his profession.
Like every bullfighter, the job has come with its share of wrecks. One of the most memorable came in 2022 when a bull caught him while he attempted to leap clear, splitting his kneecap in half with a horn. Dunn tried to get up and run, but his leg gave out beneath him, sending him back to the dirt where the bull ran over him again before he was eventually helped out of the arena.
Despite the dangers, Dunn approaches the job with the same straightforward attitude he brings to life outside the arena. When he’s not traveling to events, he spends his time hunting, fishing, working cattle and raising bulls at home. His prized possession is his well-worn 2001 Crown Vic, which faithfully gets him from rodeo to rodeo every weekend.
Dunn is known for his calm, even-keeled personality both in and out of the arena. When the dust settles after an event, you can usually find him at the closest Yard House, ordering his go-to pineapple chicken before hitting the road to the next stop. Away from the dirt, he’s a fan of Adam Sandler, with The Waterboy ranking as his all-time favorite movie. But while he might enjoy a good comedy off the clock, there’s nothing funny about a wreck — which is why Dunn takes pride in being there when it matters most, stepping in to protect the best bull riders in the world.
