Shepherd Hills Tested #20U (2008 – April 14, 2017) was an American bucking bull. He bucked on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuits from 2011-2014. His first title was the 2012 American Bucking Bull (ABBI) Classic World Champion. He went on to win the 2012 Bull of the Finals title at the PRCA's National Finals Rodeo (NFR) later that same year. In 2013, he won the PRCA Bull of the Year title and was also the PBR Reserve World Champion Bull. In his last year bucking, he repeated as the 2014 PBR Reserve World Champion Bull. In 84 times out of the bucking chute over a four years period, Tested only allowed cowboys four qualified rides; two rides by two-time PBR world champion J.B. Mauney and two rides by Kasey Hayes. His owners retired him after the 2014 season. He died from injuries sustained in an accident on April 14, 2017.
Background Shepherd Hills Tested was born in 2008 as Smooth Grove, the name by which he was known for his first three years. One of his co-owners is one of the largest stock contractors in the business; D&H Cattle Company, run by Dillon Page and his son H.D. Page. Other co-owners included Tom Luthy III of Rogersville, Duckwall, Powder River Rodeo Company, and the company Shepherd Hills Cutlery. When Shepherd Hills Cutlery became part owner, the bull was renamed. Shepherd Hills Tested's sire was #194 Smooth Move. Smooth Move was a PBR World Finals bull. He was also the sire to PBR World Champion bull contender Stone Sober. His paternal grandsire was Kish's Top Gun, and his paternal granddam was Kish #002. His dam was Page #502. His maternal grandsire was #22 Hotel California. From 2002 to 2004, Hotel California maintained a buckoff streak on the elite tour of the PBR, the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) that took three-time World Champion Adriano Moraes to break it. Cody Lambert, the PBR Director of Livestock, considered him one of the top five contenders for the 2005 World Champion bull contenders. As of December 2017, Hotel California is ranked 34th on the BFTS All Time Rank, and 32nd on the Historical Ranking on ProBullStats.com. Shepherd Hills Tested's maternal granddam was TBB K304. He was registered as an American Bucking Bull, he was a black bull, and he weighed approximately .
Career Shepherd Hills Tested competed on both the PRCA circuit and on the elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) tour of the PBR.
2011 season In the 2011 season, at age three, Shepherd Hills Tested was still named D&H's Smooth Groove, but competed several times on the PRCA circuit.
Shepherd Hills Tested competed in the PBR a couple times on the circuit's lower tours. Then he competed at a BFTS event in Billings, Montana, in September. He bucked off Colby Yates in 2.99 seconds for an even 45 points. Then he bucked off Reese Cates in 2.14 seconds for a decent score of 44.25 points. Finally, he bucked in one round in the PBR BFTS World Finals at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he bucked off Dusty Ephrom in 5.67 seconds and earned an average bull score of 43 points.
Shepherd Hills Tested competed in the PRCA regular season at least five times. In May 2011 in Eagle Mountain, Utah, he bucked off Boedie Evans in 4 seconds for a score of 39 points. Also in May 2011 in Eagle Mountain, Utah, he bucked off Carter Downing in 4 seconds for a score of 42 points. In July 2011 in Estes Park, Colorado, he bucked off Cody Wooldrige in 4 seconds for a score of 45 points. In August 2011 in Riverton, Wyoming, he bucked off Chance Smart. Also in August 2011, in Grace, Idaho, he bucked off Trenten Montero in 2.55 seconds and earned a score of 43 points. He bucked in competition at the 2011 NFR two times in December. He bucked off Wesley Silcox in 4.08 seconds for an exceptional bull score of 47 points. Then he bucked off Steve Woolsey in 4.40 seconds for another high bull score of 46. He also won the most money in the regular season of the ABBI in 2011.
2012 season In January 2012, at a PBR event in Denver, Colorado, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Zane Lambert in 2.20 seconds for a bull score of 43.50. Also in January 2012, at a PBR event in Pueblo, Colorado, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Duty LaBeth in 2.03 seconds for a bull score of 44.50. In February 2012, at a PBR BFTS event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Austin Meier in 5.18 seconds for a bull score of 45.25. In February 2012, at a PBR BFTS event in Houston, Texas, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off two-time world champion Chris Shivers in 5.38 seconds for a bull score of 46 points.
In March 2012, at a PBR BFTS event in Arlington, Texas, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off J.B. Mauney in 4.73 seconds for a bull score of 45 points. In March 2012, at a PBR BFTS event in Kansas City, Missouri, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Caleb Sanderson in 2.61 seconds for a bull score of 43.75 points. In April 2012, at a PBR event in Stephenville, Texas, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Bonner Bolton in 1.68 seconds for a bull score of 43.50 points. In May 2012, at a PBR BFTS event in Nampa, Idaho, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Fabiano Vieira in 7.24 seconds for a bull score of 44.50 points. In May 2012, at a PBR BFTS event in Pueblo, Colorado, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Ryan Dirteater in 4.62 seconds for a bull score of 44.75 points.
In June 2012 at a PBR event in Ardmore, Oklahoma, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Jay Epstein in 1.34 seconds for a bull score of 44.50 points. In July 2012 at a PRCA event in Estes Park, Colorado, Shepherd Hills Tested had a couple of no scores. In July 2012 at a PBR event in Grand Junction, Colorado, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Justin Arendt in 1.99 seconds for a bull score of 45 points. In August 2012 at a PBR BFTS event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi in 4.44 seconds for a bull score of 44.25 points. In August 2012 at a PBR BFTS event in Thackerville, Oklahoma, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off 2004 World Champion Mike Lee in 3.46 seconds for a bull score of 44.25 points.
As of August 1, 2012, D&H Cattle was making a big push for Shepherd Hills Tested to win the American Bucking Bull, Inc., (ABBI) Classic Championship. He had impressed the judges the most this season at Classic events, which are events held for 3 and 4-year-olds by the ABBI. The bull was also a fan favorite. However, bull riders were finding him tough to ride due to his power. He had thrown off such notable riders as J.B. Mauney, Chris Shivers, Austin Meier, and Ryan Dirteater.
ABBI Executive Director Kaycee Simpson noticed that the Pages, owners of D&H Cattle, were hauling Shepherd Hills Tested to every classic event they could. They had already earned $50,000 with him as of August 2012. That year in Las Vegas, Nevada, the 3 or 4-year-old bull with the highest score was to win $250,000 for first place. Simpson said of Tested, "We want the best Classic bull in the world to win...The caliber of Classic bulls is that high this year. He has some stiff competition." In the end, Shepherd Hills Tested secured a win for the ABBI Classic Championship as a 4-year-old in 2012. In his entire Classic career (competing as a 3 and 4-year-old in the ABBI), the bull pulled down a total of $339,570.39.
In September 2012 at a PBR BFTS event in Nashville, Tennessee, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Aaron Roy in 3.35 seconds for a bull score of 44.50 points. In September 2012 at a PBR BFTS event in Springfield, Missouri, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off HD Coleman in 2.57 seconds for a bull score of 44.25 points. In September 2012 at a PRCA event in Omaha, Nebraska, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Trevor Kastner in 4.23 seconds for a bull score of 44 points.
In September 2012, J.B. Mauney made a qualified ride on Shepherd Hills Tested; he was the first rider ever to do so. The ride took place at a PBR BFTS event in Springfield, Missouri. Mauney scored 92.50 points out of a possible 100 on Shepherd Hills Tested, whose bull score was a solid 45.25 out of a possible 50. The ride won the event for Mauney. The bull turned in the rider's left hand nicely. This let Mauney gain the bull's rhythm while the bull attempted to outpower him in the front end.
Co-owner H.D. Page of D&H Cattle said when Tested got upset when a rider made a qualified ride on him and he got beat. "The bull doesn't believe he did his job right. So the next time he goes out, his desire to win is stronger." Page explained that Shepherd Hills Tested usually proved himself after such a loss by winning rebound events. As an example, in September 2012, Mauney rode Shepherd Hills Tested for 92.5 points at the PFIwestern.com Invitational presented by Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri. After that, the 3-year-old bull bounced back at a rodeo in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to buck off Brant Atwood in 4 seconds for 46.5 points.
In October 2012 at the PBR BFTS Finals at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, Shepherd Hills Tested competed two times. His first out was against Davi Henrique where he bucked him off in 4.75 seconds for a bull score of 43.75. Next, he bucked off Mauney in 4.76 seconds for a bull score of 46 points.
In December 2012, at the NFR, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, Shepherd Hills Tested competed two times. First, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off PRCA world champion Cody Teel in 4 seconds for an exceptional bull score of 47 points. Next, he bucked off Trevor Kastner in 4 seconds with another exceptional bull score of 47 points. This performance at the NFR brought Shepherd Hills Tested the PRCA Bucking Bull of the NFR Finals title.
2013 season On January 25 and 26, 2013, Shepherd Hills Tested competed at the PBR BFTS WinStar World Casino Invitational at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. PBR bull rider Jory Markiss failed to ride Tested on Friday night the 25th when he was bucked off in 2.61 seconds, and Tested earned a bull score of 44.50 points. Markiss got a second chance that night because he won the round and Tested was the bonus bull for the round winner. The bonus round was worth $3,000. Markiss got bucked off again, this time in 4.99 seconds, with Shepherd Hills Tested earning a bull score of 45.50 seconds.
In February 2013, at a PRCA event in San Antonio, Texas, Shepherd Hills bucked off Parker Breding in 2.20 seconds for bull score of 44 points. In March 2013, in Arlington, Texas, at the PBR BFTS Iron Cowboy event in AT&T Stadium, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Austin Meier in 1.91 seconds for a career high bull score of 46.75 points, which still stands today. Tested burst out of the bucking chute with Meier on his back so fast that Meier just slipped off. In March 2013, at a PRCA event in Austin, Texas, Shepherd Hills Tested bucked off Tag Elliot in 1.80 seconds for an outstanding bull score of 48 points.