Larry Mahan, considered one of the finest cowboys in ProRodeo history, won six all-around championships, the last of which was not consecutive. His five consecutive all-around titles were not broken until 1979, when Tom Ferguson won his sixth consecutive title.
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Mahan began competing in professional rodeo at the age of 14 after being born on November 21, 1943, in Salem, Oregon.
In his career, Mahan was a prolific roughstock cowboy, competing in the NFR 26 times in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding.
He won the Bull Riding World Championship in 1965 and 1967, as well as six All-Around Gold Buckles.
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Following his career, which lasted from 1964 to 1975, Mahan was one of the first inductees into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979.
Among many others, Mahan is a member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame, and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Outside of the racing arena, Mahan achieved success in the western wear industry with boot and hat lines, released a country song with Warner Brothers, and was the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary “Great American Cowboy.”
Larry Mahan passed away on Sunday May 7, 2023 at the age of 79.
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