Terminator came out of the chute bucking, stepping left and then twisting hard right, sending Church spinning off within a few seconds.
Church, 22, from Otorohanga, had ridden Terminator once before and thought he had a good idea of what the bull was going to do.
"He went a bit harder than the last time I was on him," Church said. "He caught me by surprise."
Terminator's owner, bull contractor Chris McGarry, walked away with a slice of the prizemoney after yesterday's open bull ride competition.
Only two cowboys managed to ride his bulls for more than eight seconds; Paddy Church from Turangi and Johnson Davis from Rotorua both walked away with $400.
"You've got to have a ride so the crowd can see it can be done," he said.
"We like to see 'em have a ride, but not too many."
Mr McGarry, who co-runs Wild Out West Bucking Bulls with John Bolton in Umawera, said Terminator has now finished competing for the season and will be turned out to the grassy hills of the upper Hokianga.
Mid Northern Rodeo stalwart Murray "Gramps" Darroch was full of praise for the bull contractors.
"They're trying to breed bulls that can't be ridden, and they nearly succeeded today," he said.
"[The bulls are] that strong, they blow the cowboy's grip and they put that much effort into it that his hand just can't hang on."
Mr Darroch said the weekend had been a "100 per cent success".
"A reasonably good crowd and the condition of the ground has been marvellous," he said.
"The stock performed really well and the general attitude of everyone here has been great."
