Ty Murray
Encyclopedia
Ty Monroe Murray is a nine-time World Champion rodeo
cowboy and co-founder and board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders.
, Arizona
, to Joy and Butch Murray. He has two sisters, Kim and Kerri. Murray's father was a former rodeo hand, and his mother was a young rider in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association. As a child Murray was taught rodeo fundamentals by his father.
Championship in 1987. He was also the National All-Around Champion that year, competing all the rough-stock events as well as cutting. He went to Odessa College
where he competed in rodeo for the school. When he turned 18, he joined the PRCA
. Murray became the youngest PRCA All-Around Rodeo Cowboy, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
Murray won the World All-Around Rodeo Champion
title seven times, (1989–1994, 1998) being the top money-earner in bareback
, saddle bronc and bull riding
events for those years. Additionally, Murray won the PRCA World Bull Riding Championship title in 1993 and 1998.
After tearing his posterior cruciate ligament
s, first in his right knee, and later in his left, Murray had both knees reconstructed in 1995. He was out of rodeo for a year. During that time he bought a 2000 acre (8 km²) ranch in Stephenville
, Texas
. In 1996, 6 weeks after his return to rodeo, he damaged his shoulder during a bull ride in Del Rio, Texas
; he had surgery which laid him off for another year, costing him a major sponsor. His comeback in 1997 was astonishing — then he broke his shoulder at the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event in St. Louis
, Missouri
, laying him off for another year. After a total of three years off, Murray came back in 1998 to win the PRCA All-Around Championship for the record 7th time, as well as his second PRCA World Champion Bull Rider title. He also qualified for the PBR Finals in 1998, and finished 20th in the PBR world standings that year
In 1999, Murray met singer/songwriter Jewel Kilcher
, whose father had been an Alaska All-Around Rodeo Champion, and they became a couple. The two married in 2008 on a beach in the Bahamas. Murray joined the PBR full-time in 1999 (after dividing his time between the PBR and PRCA in the years prior). He and Jewel wrote the song "Til We Run Out of Road" about Murray and Cody Lambert
, and Jewel also mentioned him, though not by name, in her song "Stephenville, TX." She appears with him in one of the "Man Law" commercials. It was announced on January 11, 2011 that they are expecting their first child together.
Murray was the reserve world champion (second place) bull rider in the PBR in the years 1999, 2000, and 2001. In 2002, Murray retired from rodeo.
Murray was featured in the Miller Lite "Man Laws
" series of commercials, and is a frequent announcer on televised PBR Bull Riding events. He took product endorsement deals to the next level, when he refused to sign for less than his perceived value. Ty's hiring of an agent made it acceptable for his fellow cowboys to hire agents, and paid endorsements have become a lucrative adjunct to a cowboy's yearly earnings.
As of 2011, he is the president of the PBR. He took over the role of president after former PBR president Tuff Hedeman
left in the summer of 2004.
In 2007, Murray, along with his wife Jewel, appeared in the ABC reality television
series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race
, featuring a dozen celebrities in a stock car racing competition. In the first round of competition, Murray matched up against skateboarder Tony Hawk
and actress Krista Allen
.
In August 2007, he was back on television when CMT
created Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge. Murray attempted to teach nine celebrities the art of bull riding.
In January 2008, he appeared as himself in an episode of CSI
.
On February 8, 2009, it was announced that both Murray and Jewel
would be contestants on the eighth season
of Dancing with the Stars, signifying the first time a husband and wife appeared as contestants on the show in the same season; however, Jewel had to withdraw from the competition due to an injury sustained during pre-season practice. Murray was partnered with new Dancing with the Stars professional dancer Chelsie Hightower
.
In 2009, Murray and Jewel appeared on the HGTV
Celebrity Holiday Homes special.
In January 2010, Murray and Jewel appeared on the ABC
reality series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
.
On February 22, 2010, Murray was co-host of WWE Monday Night RAW
on USA Network
with his wife Jewel where they had a bull-riding competition for the divas.
In July of 2011, Jewel gave birth to a baby boy.
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
cowboy and co-founder and board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders.
Early life
Murray was born in PhoenixGlendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, to Joy and Butch Murray. He has two sisters, Kim and Kerri. Murray's father was a former rodeo hand, and his mother was a young rider in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association. As a child Murray was taught rodeo fundamentals by his father.
Career
Murray competed in the Arizona High School Rodeo Association where he was the All-Around Champion Cowboy and led Arizona to its first National High School Rodeo AssociationNational High School Rodeo Association
The National High School Rodeo Association , based in Denver, Colorado, was incorporated in 1961 to promote interest in rodeo sports among high school students, to provide training, and to establish venues for their performances...
Championship in 1987. He was also the National All-Around Champion that year, competing all the rough-stock events as well as cutting. He went to Odessa College
Odessa College
Odessa College is a public two-year junior college based in Odessa, Texas, USA serving the people of Ector County and the Permian Basin. It opened in 1952 and currently enrolls about 5,000 annually in its university-parallel and occupational/technical courses, and 11,000 students annually in its...
where he competed in rodeo for the school. When he turned 18, he joined the PRCA
PRCA
PRCA may refer to:*Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association*Protestant Reformed Churches in America*Public Relations Consultants Association*Pure red cell aplasia*Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, a school in Oro Valley, Arizona...
. Murray became the youngest PRCA All-Around Rodeo Cowboy, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
Murray won the World All-Around Rodeo Champion
World All-Around Rodeo Champion
This is a list of PRCA World All-Around Champions. The championship is awarded at the National Finals Rodeo by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to the top All-Around Cowboy....
title seven times, (1989–1994, 1998) being the top money-earner in bareback
Bareback
Bareback riding is a form of horseback riding without a saddle.Bareback may also refer to:* A type of rodeo event* Bareback , an act of unprotected sex* "Bareback" , a 2003 glam metal song...
, saddle bronc and bull riding
Bull riding
Bull riding refers to rodeo sports that involve a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal attempts to buck off the rider....
events for those years. Additionally, Murray won the PRCA World Bull Riding Championship title in 1993 and 1998.
After tearing his posterior cruciate ligament
Posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...
s, first in his right knee, and later in his left, Murray had both knees reconstructed in 1995. He was out of rodeo for a year. During that time he bought a 2000 acre (8 km²) ranch in Stephenville
Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville is a city in and the county seat of Erath County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,921 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1856, it is home to Tarleton State University. Stephenville is among several communities that calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of the...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. In 1996, 6 weeks after his return to rodeo, he damaged his shoulder during a bull ride in Del Rio, Texas
Del Rio, Texas
Del Rio is a border city in and the county seat of Val Verde County, Texas, United States.. Del Rio is connected with Ciudad Acuña via the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing and Del Río-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge...
; he had surgery which laid him off for another year, costing him a major sponsor. His comeback in 1997 was astonishing — then he broke his shoulder at the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, laying him off for another year. After a total of three years off, Murray came back in 1998 to win the PRCA All-Around Championship for the record 7th time, as well as his second PRCA World Champion Bull Rider title. He also qualified for the PBR Finals in 1998, and finished 20th in the PBR world standings that year
In 1999, Murray met singer/songwriter Jewel Kilcher
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
, whose father had been an Alaska All-Around Rodeo Champion, and they became a couple. The two married in 2008 on a beach in the Bahamas. Murray joined the PBR full-time in 1999 (after dividing his time between the PBR and PRCA in the years prior). He and Jewel wrote the song "Til We Run Out of Road" about Murray and Cody Lambert
Cody Lambert
Cody Lambert is a former professional saddle bronc & bull rider. He was a Champion Bull Riding Cowboy and Vice President of the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. He created the protective vest that most Professional Bull Riders wear, after seeing the death of his friend, Lane Frost at the Cheyenne...
, and Jewel also mentioned him, though not by name, in her song "Stephenville, TX." She appears with him in one of the "Man Law" commercials. It was announced on January 11, 2011 that they are expecting their first child together.
Murray was the reserve world champion (second place) bull rider in the PBR in the years 1999, 2000, and 2001. In 2002, Murray retired from rodeo.
Murray was featured in the Miller Lite "Man Laws
Man Laws
Man Laws are a series of beer commercials for Miller Lite, inspired by the supposed unwritten codes by which men live. In the commercials, the panel discusses a given issue until it decides upon a "Man Law". The "Men of the Square Table" are a parody of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table...
" series of commercials, and is a frequent announcer on televised PBR Bull Riding events. He took product endorsement deals to the next level, when he refused to sign for less than his perceived value. Ty's hiring of an agent made it acceptable for his fellow cowboys to hire agents, and paid endorsements have become a lucrative adjunct to a cowboy's yearly earnings.
As of 2011, he is the president of the PBR. He took over the role of president after former PBR president Tuff Hedeman
Tuff Hedeman
Richard Neale "Tuff" Hedeman is a retired 3 time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Champion bull rider, as well as the 1995 Professional Bull Riders World Champion, and is the current president of Championship Bull Riding...
left in the summer of 2004.
Television and film appearances/Personal Life
In November 1999, Murray appeared as himself in an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger in Season 8 Episode 8 titled "Widow Maker".In 2007, Murray, along with his wife Jewel, appeared in the ABC reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race
Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race
Fast Cars & Superstars: Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race was an ABC reality television series featuring twelve celebrities in a stock car auto racing competition...
, featuring a dozen celebrities in a stock car racing competition. In the first round of competition, Murray matched up against skateboarder Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
and actress Krista Allen
Krista Allen
Krista Allen is an American actress. She is best known for her work in the television series Days of Our Lives, Baywatch Hawaii, and What About Brian; and in the Hollywood films Liar Liar, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Anger Management, and The Final Destination...
.
In August 2007, he was back on television when CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
created Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge. Murray attempted to teach nine celebrities the art of bull riding.
In January 2008, he appeared as himself in an episode of CSI
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
.
On February 8, 2009, it was announced that both Murray and Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
would be contestants on the eighth season
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 8)
The eighth season of Dancing with the Stars premiered on Monday, March 9, 2009, as part of ABC's spring line-up. The show generally followed the format of previous seasons, with 13 couples, although there were some changes, including two new dances , and an occasional dance-off between the bottom...
of Dancing with the Stars, signifying the first time a husband and wife appeared as contestants on the show in the same season; however, Jewel had to withdraw from the competition due to an injury sustained during pre-season practice. Murray was partnered with new Dancing with the Stars professional dancer Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie Hightower is a Latin ballroom dancer, who is best known for being a regular dance partner, trainer, and choreographer on the ABC competition show Dancing with the Stars.-Biography:...
.
In 2009, Murray and Jewel appeared on the HGTV
HGTV
HGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...
Celebrity Holiday Homes special.
In January 2010, Murray and Jewel appeared on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
reality series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality television series providing home renovations for less fortunate families and community schools etc...
.
On February 22, 2010, Murray was co-host of WWE Monday Night RAW
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
on USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
with his wife Jewel where they had a bull-riding competition for the divas.
In July of 2011, Jewel gave birth to a baby boy.