ProRodeo Sports News - May 12, 2023

Guys on the back of the chute were like, ‘No, no, you’ve got fourth place won.’ And I said, ‘I didn’t come here to win fourth. I want the re-ride,’” Murray said. “They ran in a bull called Edward Scissorhands. I rode him and I ended up winning second in that round.” Murray’s choice turned out to be the right one as he and Daryl Mills duked it out to see who would come out on top in the world standings. Mills ended up riding one more bull at the NFR than Murray to claim the event title, but it was Murray who held on in the season standings to claim his first world bull riding title – by a mere $95. “I always tell young guys that a re-ride is a mulligan. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t take a mulligan – if you hit it in the tall grass, why wouldn’t you take a mulligan,’” Murray said. “That was kind of the way me and my whole crew of travel partners, like Cody (Lambert), Tuff (Hedeman), Lane (Frost) and Jim (Sharp), that’s how we looked at it. Thankfully that’s how we looked at it because if I would have not taken it, I’d have one less world championship.” The nip and tuck battle 30 years ago between Murray and Mills was one of many Murray faced against a slew of future Hall of Fame bull riders in his career. And, even with a win by the narrowest of margins, it didn’t leave any hard feelings. In fact, even though they weren’t travel partners, Murray and Mills had a knack for pranking each other. Once, Mills snuck into Murray’s hotel room while he slept and squeezed toothpaste into his ears. Murray woke up thinking he’d suffered an injury during a ride the day before and had lost his hearing overnight. A few weeks later, Murray returned the favor as he sent a friend out to a store to buy as much toothpaste as possible. While Mills was riding, Murray filled a pair of his boots. “He had to catch a flight or something, so as soon as he got off his bull, he just grabbed his bag and took off,” Murray said with a laugh. “Later on, he told me that he didn’t get those boots out for like a month and when he got them out it was like having concrete in the bottom.” Over the course of his career, Murray claimed nine total world titles, including seven all-around championships and a pair of bull riding crowns. While the sheer number is impressive, it was the list of competitors he had to overcome that means the most to him. Between his legendary travel partners and numerous other riders who went on to Hall of Fame careers, Murray often made choices like the one he faced at the 1993 NFR. It’s a mindset that served him well on the way to unprecedented heights. “I could live with trying and failing, but I can’t live with wondering the rest of my life, ‘What if I would have tried?’ I feel like that was the right call no matter what, even if that bull would’ve bucked me off. Even if it would have went the other way and he would have bucked me off and cost me the world championship, I don’t think I’d ever regret that,” Murray said. “That was an era of bull riding that I feel lucky and grateful to have been a part of.”

PRCA ProRodeo file photo Ty Murray talks to the crowd after receiving his gold buckles for winning the 1993 PRCA All-Around World Championship and PRCA Bull Riding World Championship.

Dan Hubbell photo Daryl Mills had a fantastic 1993 NFR winning the average with 650 points on eight head. Despite the effort, Ty Murray edged him out for the world title.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/12/2023

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