Ted Groene Spent a Lifetime Saving Cowboys, Now They Rally To Save Him

Every Western Sports fan knows the wreck.

In 1997 in Boise, Idaho, Chris Shivers, who would go on to claim two PBR gold buckle titles, was in serious trouble, thrown by a bull named Shorty, and knocked unconscious.

Ted Groene, who had lost an eye three years earlier while working as a bullfighter – an injury that ended the career of a quintessential tough, selfless cowboy protector – came out of retirement.

Working as livestock coordinator, Groene sprinted from the back pen onto the dirt. Looking like a caped crusader in a black duster coat, he threw his body on Shivers to shield the defenseless rider from a bull intent on mauling him.

Groene was only a few years removed from a massive head injury that nearly took his life. That didn’t matter. A cowboy was in trouble. There was no doubting what he’d do. Heroes run on instinct and take the shots intended for the fallen.

“Ted Groene, who has had about 20 operations, just laid over the top of Chris to try to keep him out of the way!” the announcer shouted as Shivers gestured to the crowd as he was taken away from the dirt on a stretcher. “Ted Groene in that raincoat probably saved him.”

Now, the community that universally loves a man who routinely risked his life for theirs, then steered his passion toward caring for the animals of the sport, is rallying to save Ted, following a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer.

The familial Western sports industry has circled the wagons for Groene in his fight, including a fundraising auction that has some of the biggest names in the business contributing.   

Nine-time world Champion Ty Murray, who has known Groene for 40 years, donated the all-around saddle he received in winning the Texas Circuit Finals in 1991.

“An auction is hard in the cowboy world, cowboys talking to cowboys; it’s like trying to auction ice to the Eskimos,” Murray said. He found something special and interesting – and the precious saddle brought in $12,000. 

Fans who want to participate in the auction can go to tedgroene.com.

More than 20 years after Shivers’ wreck, bull rider Brennon Eldred was knocked out as well. A man he now calls “God’s warrior” dashed onto the dirt to save him. To say thank you to Groene, Eldred is offering a bucking bull for the auction.

Hebert C47 is “a really cool offering that just came to mind when I thought about Ted,” Eldred said. “He’s a big brindle, old school cool and bucks hard. He’s ready to go on the truck today anywhere in the country matched against anybody.

The bidding will be held at 8 pm CT on Tuesday May 12 at to: https://thebreedersconnection.com/26may12.html

Overall, the auction for Groene, set up by stock contractor and Kansas City Outlaws Coach J.W. Hart and his wife Leann, Sonny Barthold and others has now raised more than $142,000.

Its success is a tribute to the man that Groene is – humble, dedicated, forever running into the wreck.  

“He may not have been known as the greatest bull fighter of all time. But there was no one more committed to saving guys,” said Cody Custer, 1992 PRCA World Champion, a co-founder of PBR, and beneficiary of Groene’s bravery.

Just like the Shivers save, Groene wasn’t working as a bull fighter when he stepped in to help Custer at a California rodeo in 1994, nearly losing his own life.

He was working the gate latch when Custer’s bull was giving him issues in the chute. Ted moved in to get the bull to turn, but the animal made a quick move and whipped him against the steel. The bull crushed Groene’s head, fracturing his eye socket.

“The gate opened and I rode the bull, got off after the whistle, and checked on Ted,” Custer said. “It was as much blood as I’d ever seen in my life.  I didn’t think he would make it.”

Groene lost his right eye. When he recovered, having found a world he loved, he stayed in it. After a 15-year career fighting bulls, he was brought in by legendary PBR production director Jerome Robinson as a livestock superintendent for PBR.

For three decades, he’s been setting up back pens and bull housing, making sure the animals are happy, getting the best care, and ready to do their job to partner with riders in the most thrilling eight seconds in sports.

“He has been doing that as long as any of us can remember,” Murray said. “Everyone in the industry was touched by Jerome (Robinson), and now Ted is responsible for touching a lot of the young guys, mentoring them to work the back pens and take care of the animals. He’s iconic. But he’d never admit to that.”

Known as a man who keeps his ears open and his mouth shut, Groene shies away from the limelight. In fact, to be given the sport’s Be Cowboy award for the 2021 World Finals, an elaborate scheme was created to get him into the center of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.  

“We knew he’d never agree, so we had to trick Ted to have him honored,” said Mandi McCary, a member of the sport’s PR team.

McCary told Groene he was needed for Joe Baumgartner’s lifetime achievement award. Groene mentored Baumgartner, helping launch the career of a bullfighter many consider the best of them all.  

“Joe was in on the whole thing, while Ted thought he was there to surprise Joe,” McCary said. “Ted went on the shark cage and got confused why his son Jared was up there with all the stock contractors lining the dirt. Jared lied that Joe asked him to be there. The whole ruse was hilarious, but we had to do it this way, because Ted is so humble. Nobody deserved the honor more.”  

On stage next to Groene, Baumgartner said, “Ted was like an older brother to me: scolded me when I did bad and praised when I did good. I learned a lot of work ethic from him, and I’ll tell you what, he is the major step to my career. He gave me opportunity to do what I did. I owe the world to this man.”

With Jared, the apple didn’t fall far; he’s one of PBR’s top safety men – seen across the major tours on horseback, keeping cowboys and bulls from harm. Jared earned a buckle for his first time roping at the 2018 World Finals and gave it to his father, who still wears it today.

Even during his new fight, his dad is still doing what he loves. He was working the pens during last weekend’s opening rounds of PBR World Finals at Cowtown Coliseum.

Murray says Groene is tremendous at his job because of not only that kind of commitment, but the simple fact that he cares deeply about the sport and everyone in it whose path he crosses.

“He’s one of those guys, when you pass it off to Ted, you know it’s handled and done probably better than you’d do it yourself,” he said.

McCary knows that well. At a championship event in Las Vegas, a Wall Street Journal photographer wanted sunset shots of the bulls in their pens. She asked Groene if he could let her photograph them from the alley, framed against the fading golden light.

Groene gave the familiar two-word reply he and Jared often use: “It’s handled.”

McCary grabbed a phone call, then checked back to see a lift hoisting the photographer high above the pens for an incredible low sun-drenched shot.

“Ted went ten times above and beyond, like he always does, probably on zero sleep and with a to-do list of his own a mile long,” she said.

McCary, Murray, the Harts, and many others are working hard to help a man dedicated to others and now seeing a return on his bounty of grace.    

“Everyone who knows Ted wants to help Ted,” Murray said. “I’m just one of them. There’s a long list.”

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