No argument: Murray’s the greatest ever

Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999 | 4:01 a.m.

PRCA

Ty Murray

World titles: 1989-94, '98 World Champion All-Around Cowboy; 1993, '98 World Champion Bull Rider

Hometown: Stephenville, Texas

Date of birth: Oct. 11, 1969

Height/weight: 5-8, 150 pounds

1998 earnings: $264,673 (AA); $164,154 (BR); $76,830(SB); $20,688 (BB)

1998 NFR earnings: $71,328(BR); $20,098 (SB)

Joined PRCA: 1988

NFR qualifications: 8 (1989-94, '98-99)

Call him the King of the Cowboys. Call him Superman in Boots. Call him an amazing, awesome athlete who just set professional rodeo's status quo on its ear -- again.

Just don't call him "arguably the best cowboy of all time." For those of you who tried to make that title fit this kid in years past, the "arguably" part no longer applies. It was "arguably" a silly thing to say in the first place, but Murray's 1998 record seventh world all-around championship iced it.

When Ty Monroe Murray -- who was named after his grandpa Harold Monroe and great grandpa Harley Monroe -- was in third grade, his teacher, Mrs. Simmons, passed out a questionnaire. On it, she asked her students, "If you could do anything in your life, what would it be?"

Without pause, the skinny kid who was on the small side for his age, wrote, "I want to beat Larry Mahan's record."

The kid had a one-track mind. Since the day his parents, Butch and Joy, brought him home from the hospital in a tiny pair of boots, he's been a cowboy. He rode his mom's sewing machine case. He then graduated to the arm of the couch, and by 2 1/2 he was riding calves with his dad trailing along behind with a death grip on his belt loop while his mom counted out eight alligators.

The day Ty told his dad he didn't need him back there anymore and was ready to ride solo stirred mixed emotions in his parents. They brimmed with pride, but their baby was growing up -- and fast.

The little scrapper catapulted up the youth rodeo ranks, working every event but the barrel race. He all but slept in his boots and hat, and did everything he could think of from gymnastics to riding a unicycle while juggling to enhance his balance and coordination skills.

"I remember watching a young 13-year-old rodeo cowboy warming up for the bull riding event at the National Little Britches Rodeo Association Finals in Colorado Springs," said Larry "Bull" Mahan, who until last December shared the six-title record for most all-around championships with Murray and timed-event legend Tom Ferguson.

"His physical exercises were that of a gymnast before a meet. Mentally, I could see that he had total concentration and dedication to his sport of rodeo. I felt that, barring injury, this young man was going to be one of rodeo's greatest champions."

Mahan was so impressed by Murray that he invited him to spend some time at his ranch that summer. They forged a friendship that's grown stronger with age. His was the first outreached hand when Murray left the arena after his 10th-round bull ride at the 1998 NFR that earned him both titles.

After three years of shoulder and knee injuries, intense rehabilitation and speculation about his ability to come back, Murray's 1998 season played like one giant highlight reel.

But two things made his seventh world all-around title extra special to Murray.

"This is something I've been working at my whole life," he said. "And before (when he won six straight all-arounds from 1989-94) it was expected of me. This time, there were people who didn't think I could come back. A lot of people didn't even think I'd make the NFR again."