GET SOCIAL 
SHOP NOW AT:
WRANGLER.COM

Remembering Hungry Eyes (2008-2017)

By: Justin Felisko
July 13, 2017

Hungry Eyes after bucking off his opponent

PUEBLO, Colo. – Whenever a bull qualifies for the PBR’s Built Ford Tough World Finals, a sense of pride and accomplishment reigns through for both a stock contractor and his or her’s family.

When it came to Hungry Eyes, not only were his two World Finals qualifications a gift of happiness and joy for Walker Bucking Bulls, but also the Navajo Nation.

Terry Walker announced this week that Hungry Eyes passed away at 9 years old at the family’s ranch in Page, Arizona, Tuesday evening.

Hungry Eyes qualified for the World Finals in 2014 and 2015 and finished his career with a 17-2 record on the Built Ford Tough Series.

“What made him so special was he was an athlete out of our family and that made it from the Navajo Nation to the PBR,” Walker said. “It was a big, wonderful thing for the Navajo Nation to be in something like this, especially the top level of bull riding.”

Hungry Eyes last competed this past March in Glendale, Arizona. Hungry Eyes bucked off Shane Proctor in 1.98 seconds.

“He’s been a good bull for a long time,” Proctor said. “A stout red bull. He was usually around to the left with a lot of power.”

Walker added, “That was really special. As old as he was. I don’t know how he got big, fat and muscular. He really yanked him down. That was really something.”

The bull with the crooked nose was not a BFTS mainstay by any means, but when he did compete at the PBR’s illustrious level he was a fan favorite for the Navajo Nation.

Walker Bucking Bulls acquired Hungry Eyes as a 3-year-old from Trevor Walker in Stephenville, Texas.

Hungry Eyes was the grandson of Trick or Treat – the bull that Chris Shiversfamously rode for 96 points at the 1999 World Finals.

Hungry Eyes made his BFTS debut in 2012 with a 1.81-second buckoff of H.D. Coleman.

Two years later, Hungry Eyes qualified for his first PBR World Finals after bucking off current world No. 1 bull rider Eduardo Aparecido in back-to-back outs.

Aparecido never lasted longer than 3.88 seconds against Hungry Eyes.

Fabiano Vieira became the first rider to make 8 seconds against Hungry Eyes when he rode the bull for 86.5 points during Round 4 of the 2014 World Finals.

Kaique Pacheco would then be the only other rider to earn a qualified ride on him when he began his 2015 Last Cowboy Standing victory with 82 points.

Hungry Eyes helped take Walker and his family to places they never thought imaginable.

They bucked Hungry Eyes on the edge of the Pacific Ocean during the 2014 Monster Energy Bulls on the Beach event and inside AT&T Stadium.

“He started getting into some short rounds and that was pretty unbelievable for us Navajo people,” Walker said. “We got to travel with him across the states to California, Oklahoma.

Originally, Walker had hoped to retire Hungry Eyes at the end of the year, but he then thought maybe his bull had something left in the tank.

“I knew we still had something in him,” Walker said. “I was going to retire him this year, but I was going to go ahead and use him for another year.”

Instead, the Walkers will take solace in what their bull accomplished for themselves and the Navajo Nation.

“He was really special to our Navajo Nation here,” Walker concluded. “He was a loveable bull.”

Hot Rod Passes Away

In other bull news, K-Bar-C Ranch announced on Tuesday the passing of 371 Hot Rod on Monday night.

Hot Rod, 12, only competed at the BFTS level five times, but Hot Rod was part of the beginning of the K-Bar-C operation.

“It’s a sad night at the K Bar C Ranch,” the McElroy family posted on Facebook. “Had to put down 371 Hot Rod. He was one of the first bulls we bought and he was a good one. Luckily we have some great heifers out of him and have sold some great bulls out of him. He will be missed.”

© 2017 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

Related Content