Clay Heger – Bullfighting Professional, Carrying On the Family Tradition
By Ted Harbin, Wrangler Network contributor
Photo Credit – Robby Freeman
Heger is a professional bullfighter whose legacy outlives his 28 years on this Earth. He’s a second-generation bullfighter, carrying on the family business started by his father, Paul Heger, known as CC Gator.
“I was in my first clown act when I was 2 years old,” Clay Heger said. “I grew up around it and always loved it. Rodeo always seemed to be something our family did, so I was pulled into it. We had the option to do anything we wanted, and we did everything imaginable: We played baseball, ran track, wrestled and played football, but rodeo was always there.”
Paul Heger started out fighting bulls, then transitioned into the world of being a rodeo clown. That’s what the Heger boys, Clay and Colt, knew, and they lived it. Colt, 17 months older than Clay, also was a guiding force in Clay’s career.
“Without my brother or dad or the rest of my family, I wouldn’t have rodeoed,” said Clay, who is recognized as one of the top 5 nominees for 2015 PRCA Bullfighter of the Year. “My brother started fighting bulls before I did; he dragged me along, and we started doing junior rodeos together. I got my start by sneaking off with my brother.”
Clay Heger has taken those lessons quite well and is an integral part of the Pete Carr Pro Rodeo family. He’s been able to fight bulls at some of the biggest rodeos in the country, and he’s proven to be one of the best in the business. The nomination is just proof that the bull riders like what they see in Heger as a cowboy lifesaver.
“I haven’t found anything else, besides Jesus and my family, that I love as much as I do rodeo,” he said. “I love helping my friends and being able to travel and have a rodeo family that loves this as much as.”