Murray: “They will be riding at some places where their heroes from the last 100 years have rode”
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – Nine-time World Champion Ty Murray can’t recall exactly what year it was that he won the historic Payson Rodeo, but he knows he has a good amount of belt buckles from various rodeos in the mountainous Arizona town that he won not only as a professional, but also even as a kid growing up in Arizona.
The 1987 Arizona National High School Rodeo Association All-Around State Champion began his path to becoming a legendary rodeo athlete in his home state, and to this day he has fond memories of competing in Payson and at the Payson Pro Rodeo, which is referred to as “The World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo.”
“It has all changed from when I was competing,” Murray, who also won the 1987 all-around high school national title and led Arizona to the national team title, recalled this week. “When I was there, it was a kickass old wooden arena in the mountains up in the pine trees. It was awesome. It was right set in the trees in the mountains, and everyone would camp out and make a week out of it. Not necessarily at only the pro rodeo, but even for the junior and high school rodeos as a kid that I went to, it was a great place to go.
“Payson is a great place in Arizona. It is phenomenal.”
Payson is one of five iconic rodeo venues/towns that the PBR announced Wednesday morning will play host to the Unleash The Beast: American Roots Edition premier series to begin the 2021 season.
The 2021 Unleash The Beast will now begin its season on Jan. 9-10 in Tucson, Arizona, at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds. The UTB was originally scheduled to begin the year in Duluth, Georgia, but PBR CEO Sean Gleason explained the PBR will be taking its top tour outdoors for the beginning of 2021 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
UPDATED BEGINNING 2021 UTB SCHEDULE
January 9-10 Tucson, AZ – Tucson Rodeo Grounds
January 16-17 Payson, AZ – Payson Rodeo Grounds
January 23-24 Pecos, TX – Buck Jackson Arena
January 30-31 Del Rio, TX – Val Verde County Fairgrounds
February 13-14 To be announced in Florida
February 20-21 To be announced in Florida
February 27-28 Longview, TX – Longview Rodeo Arena
March 6-7 To be announced in Louisiana
The first few stops on the 2021 calendar will look different from past seasons for sure.
Payson and Pecos rodeos date back to the late 1880s, and Del Rio is home to the annual George Paul Memorial Bull Riding.
“That Super Bull down in Del Rio, that was a big ol’ party,” Murray recalled “You talk about a fun party for everybody. It was a like big ol’ spring break for the fans and everybody.”
Murray is one of the PBR’s 20 co-founders who began their careers pursuing gold buckles in the PRCA and competing at various historic rodeos, such as Cheyenne Frontier Days and the Pendleton Round Up, on their way to qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo.
To this day, Murray still senses history in his veins when he steps foot on the dirt in Cheyenne or at the NFR, where he was honored last week during Round 1 alongside rodeo greats Larry Mahan, Charmayne James and Trevor Brazile.
Murray believes the American Roots Edition of the UTB will allow some of the PBR’s younger generation the opportunity to experience the same towns and venues at which their heroes dominated. While some of the current crop of PBR riders have competed at historic rodeos before, many have not, such as 2020 World Champion Jose Vitor Leme.
“It will add an element of fun to them,” Murray said. “Whenever you can sort of live like your forefathers it is kind of cool, especially when you appreciate the history of your sport. It is just like me looking back at the days of Jim Shoulders and Larry Mahan when I was a kid getting started, all of the stories and things you hear. It will be the same kind of feeling for these guys.
“They will be riding at some places, like Pecos and Payson, where their heroes from the last 100 years have rode. There is an element of that that feels cool. I know in my career, I felt that every year that I went to Cheyenne. You just kind of feel like it’s hallowed ground there. You feel like everybody that has ever been anything in the sport has competed there.”
With less than five weeks until the season gets underway, the PBR is working diligently to get things aligned for 2021. There is still tremendous work to be done before Tucson, but Murray remains proud of the PBR for pushing forward in the face of adversity to begin its 28th season on time.
Murray sees the PBR organization relying on its cowboy values as it pivots amidst the pandemic once again so that PBR bull riders, stock contractors and staff can continue to bring home a paycheck to their families, while also giving its loyal fan base the opportunity to consume the sport they love.
“There will be some cool elements to this that the fans will enjoy as well,” Murray said. “I am really proud of the fact of how hard the PBR has worked to keep a sport alive in the middle of a pandemic that has wreaked havoc on almost anything.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Christopher Thompson/Bull Stock Media
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