ProRodeo Sports News - May 28, 2021

returned to his throne in 2013.

“It (bull riding) is the toughest sport there is,” Harris said. “It is so mental, and it is mentally exhausting. They always tell you it’s lonely at the top, but it sucks at the bottom. You want to be at the top. It’s a very physical sport, but it’s more of a mental game than a physical game. Sometimes eight seconds can feel like a split second and you don’t want it to be over with, and then there are times it feels like an eternity.” Harris won rodeos up and down the PRCA trail – winning titles at places like Pendleton, Ore., San Antonio, Fort Worth, Texas, Reno, Nev., Del Rio, Texas, Cody, Wyo., Austin, Texas, San Angelo, Texas, Caldwell, Idaho, Nampa, Idaho, Dodge City, Kan., Prescott, Ariz., Deadwood, S.D., Puyallup, Wash., Lovington, N.M., and Sikeston, Mo. He also won the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in 2009 and 2010. “It’s hard to put into words the kind of guy J.W. is,” award-winning PRCA bullfighter Dusty Tuckness said. “I got to know him since 2006. He was a true competitor for the sport. One of the many things I like about the guy is his demeanor. He was levelheaded. It didn’t matter what bull he got or what the conditions were, he just went about it the right way every time. “He never got wrapped up in the bright lights and all the hype. He was J.W. fromDay 1 to this day. A solid guy and one of my best friends. From the many miles of traveling to all the pranks and seeing him make countless great bull rides. He wanted the rank ones every time and rode a lot of them. I was just blessed to be part of his career.”

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Dan Hubbell One of J.W. Harris’ most memorable rides was this 94.5-point trip on Franklin Rodeo Company’s Smoke Screen to win Round 7 of the 2010 NFR at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. That remains the Round 7 record at the NFR.

Although Harris had countless winning rides, he did pinpoint a couple that stuck in his mind – his 94.5-point ride on Franklin Rodeo Company’s Smoke Screen to win Round 7 of the 2010 NFR at theThomas &Mack Center in Las Vegas; then, his 96-point trip on Flying U Rodeo’s Werewolf to win the Division 1 Xtreme Bulls event in Reno in 2006. That ride is still the highest-scored ride in Xtreme Bulls history. “That 94.5-point ride was special in more ways than one because my daughter was born in Las Vegas right before the NFR,” Harris said. “That ride was one of the coolest moments of my career because it is so hard to get (to the NFR) much less ride one and be 94.5. Hearing Bob Tallman call out the score was really cool. There’s no place like theThomas & Mack in December. There’s nothing that compares to it and there’s nothing that can take its place. Just thinking about it I get excited. “Then, that ride onWerewolf was incredible.” Harris has a résumé worthy of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, which is something that has crossed his mind. “That would be the cherry on top,” Harris said. “If it comes to that and I get in there it would be awesome, but if I don’t, I had a great career. I have no regrets on anything. I left it all out there every time and I have four gold buckles, and they can’t take those away fromme.”

PRCA ProRodeo file photo From left, Montana Silversmiths brand ambassador Steve Miller, World Champion Bull Rider J.W. Harris and former PRCA commissioner Karl Stressman share a moment as Harris displays his first gold buckle in 2008.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/28/2021

ProRodeo.com

41