Ty Murray: with

John Branch, who wrote ‘The Last Cowboys,’ likened saddle bronc riding to an “eight-second car accident” but that never stopped rodeo from revving through the veins of this 10x (Arizona Sports, Bull Riding, Cheyenne Fron�er Days, California Rodeo Salinas, Na�onal Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, New Mexico Sports, ProRodeo, Texas Cowboy, Texas Rodeo, Texas Sports)

Halls of Fame inductee and namesake of the Ty Murray Top Hand Award inaugurated by the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Associa�on in 2018. Young Ty told his third grade teacher he wanted to beat [NFR All Around Cowboy] Larry Mahan’s record, and even a first broken jaw at age nine, courtesy of his second bull ride, didn’t deter him. Today Ty is se�led deep in the saddle of his fi�h decade, a champion cowboy with nothing to prove, a tender and devoted husband and father, and a horseman s�ll willing to grow and evolve in his rela�onship with his animals. In September, he joins Buck Brannaman as keynote speakers at the Natural Horsemanship Revolu�on in Dillon, Montana. Lucky us, we get eight seconds (and more) with him now.

HERS: What do you remember about your first horse or pony?

HIS: My dad started colts, and wound up with an Appaloosa, named Doc. He was a great kids’ horse, and did all the rodeo and gymkhana events. When I was two years old, I was running barrels on him, and he wouldn’t let me go the wrong way.

HERS: What do you like best in a horse?

HIS: At this point in life, what I appreciate in a horse is their personality, temperament, and bravery. With good horsemanship you can help a horse be a better performer but you can’t change their personality.

HERS: What do you like best in a person?

HIS: Integrity matters. Then, you need trust and respect. But if you don’t have the first, you’re probably not going to get the other two.

HERS: What was your first job?

HIS: Halter breaking racehorse colts.

HERS: If you worked outside the horse world what would you be doing?

HIS: That’s tough. I can’t imagine my life without horses. Everything I’ve ever done has been linked to them.

HERS: Favorite quote?

HIS: I have a lot of quotes, depending on the situation. If we’re talking horses, I like, “The horse will tell you what he understands and doesn’t. The problem arises when the human either does not see this, ignores it, or worse, doesn’t care.”

HERS: Who inspired and/or mentored you?

HIS: Obviously, my dad. He has a lot of grace (and can still ride a horse with no bridle). The whole of my childhood he was there, breaking racehorse colts, and at 81, he’s there to this day. He went on this better horsemanship journey with me. I still get inspired by people today – it’s important to stay in that frame of mind. Passion is the key to life and it feels good to get good at something you’re passionate about.

HERS: What makes you happy?

HIS: My family! Having my wife and kids, and my parents, on this ranch. I feel very fortunate. I’ve reached all my benchmarks. Now I have a ranch to enjoy, with them around me.

HERS: How has pro rodeo changed since you started?

HIS: The competitive opportunities have gotten better. It’s more skill, not luck. Increased popularity in rough stock events is leading to better stock. Sponsorship is a direct barometer of the popularity of the sport. Rodeo still comes down to who wants it the most – that goes right back to having the passion.

HERS: Has natural horsemanship changed how you approach handling horses?

HIS: Natural horsemanship has changed my life 180 degrees and I hope it can start to do that for the rodeo world. The old way was hate me more, trust me less. Where knowledge ends is where brutality begins. Now we deal with fight or flight. A horse will be afraid or unsure. You can’t use repetitive trick training to desensitize them. When you get them soft and looking at you as leader, that’s success. Natural horsemanship is just better horsemanship. It isn’t another discipline. It’s all the disciplines.

HERS: You can invite 3 guests (past or present, real or fictional) for dinner, so who joins you and what do you eat?

HIS: That’s easy. My wife, Paige, and the kids, and we have Mexican food.

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