More than 20 Years Later, Greatest Night of Bull Riding Remains Special to 1999 Finals Champion Murray

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – Nine-time World Champion Ty Murray recorded one of the greatest rides in PBR history during Round 2 of the 1999 World Finals, and it was only good enough for third place that night.

Murray – the 1999 PBR World Finals event winner – rode the legendary Red Wolf for 95.5 points inside the Thomas & Mack Center more than 20 years ago, which at the time would have been tied for the third-highest-scored bull ride in PBR history.

The problem for Murray was that Chris Shivers and Terry Don West tied for the second-best bull rides in PBR history at the time with 96-point efforts on Trick or Treat and Promise Land.

“I didn’t even come close (to winning),” Murray said with a laugh Monday via Skype. “That was such a fun night. Those are the kind of nights you live for as a bull rider. Wanting to have that kind of fun on all of those great bulls, and watching your buddies do so good.”

Round 2 of the 1999 PBR World Finals is often known as the Greatest Night of Bull Riding, and it featured eight rides of 90 points or higher.

Fans can re-watch the historic round Monday at 5 p.m. ET on the PBR’s Facebook account or on demand on the organization’s YouTube channel.

“Man, that is definitely a night I will not forget, and I don’t think any of the other guys that were involved in that night will forget,” Murray said.

Jaron Nunnemaker (94 points on Panhandle Slim), Jim Sharp (94 points on Jim Jam), Cody Hart (92.5 points on Copenhagen Zandy), Justin McBride (91 points on Nitro) and Mike White (91 points on Skat Kat Skoal) also hit the 90-point threshold that evening.

Murray said it wasn’t until he realized he was sitting third in the round did it truly sink in how historic the night had become.

“I guess whenever you are 90-something points on one of the best bulls and you are sitting third, I guess that is when it starts to sink in,” Murray said. “It is so exciting. You almost didn’t even really look at it that way. You just kept looking out there and watching another guy make a great ride. That pumps everybody up behind the chutes, and it was like it just kept snowballing.

“The stars were definitely in alignment or something. It was a special night. It was like the right guys drew up the right bulls or something.”

 
1999 Ring of Honor inductee Jerome Robinson called Murray’s ride one of the best of all time, referencing Murray’s perfect form and execution against Red Wolf.

“It’s one of the classic bull rides of all time, and one of the prettiest ones,” Robinson told PBR.com in 2013.

According to Murray, the 1999 Finals was one of five times in which he faced off against Red Wolf.

“I think I had him five times,” Murray said. “I won first on him three times, he bucked me off one time and then I won third on at him at the Finals. He was a bull I knew I could be a bunch of points on, and I was very excited to have him. At that particular year at the Finals, I just really felt like I was in a groove. It was a week I felt like I could do no wrong. Those are the kind of weeks that you live for as a bull rider because, trust me, there are weeks where you feel like you can do nothing right. Sometimes it is very hard. You are in your head. You are struggling. Your mechanics are off.

“For whatever reason, that week I felt like it didn’t matter what they did, I had an answer for it.”

Murray would ride four more bulls that week in Las Vegas to win the PBR World Finals event average for the first and only time in his career.

However, Murray was unable to catch 1999 World Champion Cody Hart. It was the third straight season in which the Murray finished runner-up in the world title race.

“I think it is definitely right there,” Murray said about comparing his Finals victory to his gold buckles in the PRCA. “It is the hardest bull riding in the world to win. That was definitely a goal of mine, and I had a good year that year as well. That is when the points were a lot different. I think I went into the Finals in second place and dominated at Finals. Cody Hart, who had a great year that year as well, did not really get much done at the Finals, but we had it the way the points were back then, even though I had such a good Finals, I couldn’t catch him.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

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