ProRodeo Sports News - April 17, 2020

Who is your favorite horse you have ridden? Tyson : Nikko was my man. It has been really cool to watch them replaying the NFRs onThe Cowboy Channel because I get to watch him go. I prefer to watch him and not me. I’m reliving some cool times with him. (Nikko passed away Nov. 23, 2018, of a ruptured colon. He was 14. Durfey won his world championship riding Nikko). Why did you get involved in tie-down roping? Tyson: It was a family thing for me. My dad (Roy) trained horses and mounted some big-name guys back in the day in the 1980s like Roy Cooper. My dad was in the industry and that led me to be a tie-down roper. We would ride like 25 to 30 head a day of (tie-down) roping horses, so it was bred into me. What was it like emotionally when you won your world championship? Tyson: It was a surreal experience. In a professional athlete’s life, you train your entire life for a single moment that happens in a split second. I was extremely grateful for that moment and for that time to not only do that but do it with my family there. It was just a good experience and a lot of fun. Anytime I’m having a down day, I always go back and try and relive that moment. I put my mind there and my focus there, and it usually brings me out of any slump I may be going through. What inspired you to wear pink at every rodeo? Tyson: I have been wearing pink for about 12 years now. It was originally started for my stepmother. She was going through some cancer scares, and I just kind of popped off one day and said, you know what I’m going to do, I’m going to wear this pink shirt and I’m going to dedicate it to you. That was the premise of why I do it. I’ve always liked to help people and build their spirits. My stepmother didn’t have breast cancer specifically, but I knew that

What’s your favorite thing you get to do with your children? Tyson: Just playing with them. I usually try and set aside some time throughout the day, like an hour or two. Our imaginations will run wild and we play like we are riding bucking bulls or play princesses and do make-up. What’s your favorite thing Shea cooks? Tyson: She’s a phenomenal cook. Her sweet potatoes are awesome. What is your favorite sports team? Tyson: The Kansas City Chiefs. I have been a Chiefs fans since I was 6 years old. I was raised in Kansas City for a portion of my life. I sang the national anthem at the Kansas City Royals stadium when I was in fifth grade. It wasn’t only me; it was like 10 of us in a choir. I must have been second string because I can’t sing. Seeing the Royals win a World Series in 2015 and the Chiefs win the Super Bowl (2019) in my lifetime is cool. When you are going down the road full time, what do you do to pass the time? Tyson: If I’m driving, I listen to podcasts. We also run our other businesses when we are on the road – we have a baby product company called Shea Baby and a belt buckle company. Is there one restaurant you enjoy going to on the PRCA trail? Tyson: I love Lambert’s (Café) if we go to Sikeston (Mo.). I loved the throwed rolls, fried okra and chicken fried steak. What was the make of your first car? Tyson: It was a 1994 Dodge RAM half ton. I rodeoed all over the place in that thing. I loved it.

it was something that resonated with her and it would bring awareness and help lift her spirits. I wore the pink shirt at the Canadian Finals Rodeo and NFR, I think in 2008. After the NFR, she had her surgeries and the tumors ended up being benign, so luckily, she didn’t have cancer. I was only going to wear pink shirts at those two rodeos, and at the first rodeo I went to (after those two) I had like 10 people come up to me and ask me where the pink shirt was, and it stuck ever since. Is there one thing in the PRCA you would like to change? Tyson: I’m extremely thankful where the PRCA is at and the leadership it has. George (Taylor, PRCA’s CEO) has been phenomenal at building relationships and creating new, lasting partnerships. I’m just so thankful that I get to rodeo when he’s the (CEO) because I see such a bright future for the younger guys coming up. I see more viewers. I see more fans. I see more partnerships. Do you have pets besides horses at your place in Brock, Texas? Tyson: We have two cats and three chickens. They are super- great chickens because my daughter (Praise) can come right up to them and pick them up. We have them trained where they are out during the day and we kennel them at night. I like them because they give me hard-boiled eggs, so I really like them. If I could just get the chickens to pop out hard-boiled eggs, they may be the greatest animal in the world. What was it like to have Shea be the opening act at the NFR when you were competing there? Tyson: I’mmore nervous when she’s performing than when I’m competing. It’s super fun to watch her perform. We shot two new music videos that we are planning on releasing soon. Watching her shoot those music videos and do what she loves is a real love of mine.

Photo courtesy Durfey family Tyson Durfey, takes his youngest daughter, Risyn, for a ride. Durfey enjoys teaching the sport of tie-down roping through his No Limits Mentorship Program.

ProRodeo Sports News 4/17/2020

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