Murray hangs on to take top prize

Brock Radke

Monday, Nov. 1, 1999 | 9:42 a.m.

The 1999 Professional Bull Riders Bud Light Cup World Championships may have rolled into Las Vegas Thursday with its champion already seated on the throne. But nothing could take away from Sunday's climactic final ride at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Cody Hart, whose six wins and four second-place finishes in previous Bud Light Cup events this year made his point total unreachable, had a lock on the PBR championship. But it was Ty Murray, whose PBR and rodeo career earnings hover around $3 million, who claimed the event's average title by becoming one of only two riders to go all five rounds without getting dismissed by a bull.

"These are the best bull riders in the world, and for the last four days I have done better than anyone," said Murray, a 30-year-old from Stephenville, Texas. "I just felt like no bull could throw me off tonight."

Fifteen of 45 riders qualified for the final round of competition, and four -- Murray, Chris Shivers, Mike White, Troy Dunn and Jim Sharp -- had gone four rounds without getting bucked off. Shivers became the first rider ever to stay on board of Navajo, a bull that had broken Mark Ward's leg the previous night. Shivers' fifth-round score of 95 put him in the lead with 444.5 points.

White also went the required eight seconds atop another previously unconquered bull, Sports Machine, but White's score of 93 put him behind Shivers.

After Dunn, the reigning PBR champ, and Sharp were bucked, Murray stepped up to the 1997 Bucking Bull of the Year, a 1,300-pounder named Panhandle Slim known for his speedy turns and jumps. Murray scored a 94 to claim the prize with 458 total points.

"I really felt like I was in a groove here," said Murray, who has won numerous championships in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. "Without a doubt this is the greatest achievement yet. That's not taking away from any PRCA event, but nobody has had competition like this."

Although Murray's 9,393 points placed him second behind Hart's year-end total of 10,100, Murray is untouchable on the money list. He earned $385,579 this year and $259,050 at the championships in Las Vegas. Hart was second for the year at $322,348 and Shivers was second in Las Vegas with $168,866.

"This has still been a phenomenal year for me, but there is one guy that rode better than I did," Murray said.

Hart, who began the year by winning the first PBR event of the season in Salt Lake City, was presented with the Bud Light Cup and a 14-karat gold buckle at the conclusion of the competition.

"This year has been great," Hart said. "It went by so fast that I can't remember half of it. But here I am."

In addition to Hart and Murray, three other bull riders also topped the $100,000 earnings mark in 1999. Shivers earned $255,468, Terry Don West made $178,501 and White earned $137,646. The top 30 finishers receive bonus money courtesy of Bud Light.

Besides all the championships, money, trophies and gold buckles being handed out, the PBR also named other award winners. White was named Rookie of the Year after finishing seventh overall with a 4,356 point total. Shivers and West shared the award for the championship event's highest point ride as both scored 96 on Friday.

The Stock Contractor of the Year Award went to Terry Williams for the fourth time, and Williams also furnished the PBR with its Bull of the Year, Promised Land. The 1,900-pound bull did its worst in the fifth round Sunday when it bucked off 11th-place finisher Aaron Semas and trounced his midsection.