Murray has been dubbed “The King of the Cowboys,” and rightfully so. On accomplishing nine world championship wins in bull riding, he said, “That was a benchmark that I set for myself, so it feels really good to achieve that as a personal goal.”
He is drawn to bull riding due to its challenging nature. “It is very challenging physically, mentally and athletically speaking. It is very hard to become world class at it, and it is hard from the mental side of it, especially since it is so dangerous,” he said.
Murray was inspired by his father, as well as his traveling partners, Cody Lambert and Jim Sharp. “They all played big roles in being influences on me,” he said.
Each day, Murray was motivated simply by his desire of being the best in the world. “That was something that I wanted to do from a young age, so it was a real motivating factor for me. I wanted to try to break Larry Mahan’s record of six wins, and I had wanted to win seven. That wound up being a driving force for me, and when I broke that record, it felt like the desire and the drive were gone for me,” he said.
His plans for the future include spending time with his son. “That really changes life and how you look at things. My goal right now is to spend as much time as I can with him, and help him become a man and a person that I can release into this world successfully when he is older,” he said.
He had competed in the eighth season of the reality competition, Dancing With The Stars, where he had partnered with professional dancer Chelsie Hightower and he had finished in fourth place. “That was really challenging, but it brought a lot of exposure to the sport. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, that’s for sure,” he said. “I gave it everything that I had, and realized that there was a whole world there that I didn’t know existed. It was a fun experience, and I am glad I did it. I met a lot of really cool people.”
In his spare time, he enjoys spending it on his ranch, as well as riding horses. “I love the privacy and the solitude that the ranch offers. I love spending time with my son, and being on horseback. It’s the little things that I enjoy the most,” he said.
Regarding the key to longevity in the sport of bull riding, he said, “You really have to love it. That’s the No. 1 ingredient. That’s how you find success in it.”
Murray defined success as “Finding your passion in life.” “I really don’t think that it is measured with money, even though money is nice and it is helpful in many ways. When you feel good and fulfilled as a person, you are able to wake up every day and you take that goal that you are passionate about. That’s my one hope for my son. I want him to find something to do, and he wakes up thinking about it every morning and is excited to wake up and go and do it. That’s where real fulfillment comes from,” he said.
For more information on world champion cowboy Ty Murray, check out his official website.
