Rodeo Superstar Spud Jones Has Died at the Age of 36 After Years as a Professional Bull Rider

You don't necessarily have to have followed the rodeo and bull riding to have heard of the name Spud Jones. Those who did follow his decades-long career, however, were crushed to learn of his death on July 4, 2025. He was the first Navajo bull rider to ride in the world's largest rodeo. Now, many want to know what happened to Spud Jones and what his cause of death was. He was 36 years old.

Although Spud's family has not released a full official statement, they have shared some details on social media. One of his sisters, Twila Jones, shared the news of his death on Facebook.

"With great sadness, we the family of Spud Jones announce his passing on July 4, 2025," she wrote. "Whether you knew Spud through the sport of rodeo or had the privilege of crossing paths with him personally, you knew he had a big heart, a strong spirit, and a presence that will be deeply missed."

Although Twila did not share in her Facebook post what happened to Spud before his death or how he died, the country news-themed Instagram account Country Rebel shared more details about Spud's death. In a post about the late rodeo star, the account shared photos of Spud and wrote in the caption that he "passed away in his sleep after dealing with ongoing health issues."

No one from Spud's family has publicly disclosed what health issues Spud was dealing with prior to his death. However, he left a lasting impact on the bull riding world and the rodeo in general. According to the Country Rebel Instagram post, Spud was ranked as the 13th bull rider in the world at the age of 20.

At this time, it's unclear what Spud's cause of death was. However, since his family said he had battled some health issues before his death and he died in his sleep, his death does not appear to be related to a rodeo accident in any way. After Spud's family shared the news of his death on social media, friends, family, and fans commented on the posts to share their memories of Spud.

One fan commented on a post, "He congratulated me after I had received my Rodeo Scholarship. I just remembered lots of young men looked up to him."

On Spud's sister Twila's Facebook post, someone else wrote, "Condolences to y'all. [Spud] was a great guy. His smile would light up the room. I can still hear his laugh. He will be missed. Prayers to you guys."

In the same post, Twila shared official information about where to donate to help the family with funeral expenses.

According to The Navajo Times, Spud grew up on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico. In 2008, he told the outlet that he always felt the pull of not only the rodeo, but of experiencing life outside of the reservation.

At the time, Spud's mom, Michaelene Jones, shared with the outlet, "It's what he likes to do. He just wants to ride, [it's] all he does. He never looked for a job or anything."