Ty Murray

American rodeo cowboy

Ty Monroe Murray (born October 11, 1969), is an American nine time World Champion professional rodeo cowboy. He was one of the top rodeo contestants in the world from the late 1980s to early 2000s. He is one of the co founders and a board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). From 2005 to 2020, he was also a regular color commentator for several televised PBR events. In 2023, Murray was ranked No. 11 on the list of the top 30 bull riders in PBR history.

Ty Murray was born on October 11, 1969, in Phoenix, Arizona, to Harold "Butch" and Joy Murray. He has two sisters, Kim and Kerri, both also involved in rodeo during their childhoods. His father competed in rodeos, broke colts for 30 years, and was the starter for The Downs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His mother competed as a child in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association. She took first place in their bull riding competition. However, it was not long before the family moved to a ranch in Glendale, Arizona, that was around 10 miles from Phoenix. At 2 years old, Murray's father put him on calves, but rode alongside and held him. When he started walking, he got spurs, and he spurred his mother's sewing machine cover to pieces. At 8 years old, he helped his father break colts. At 9 years old, he rode his first bull. That 1,800 pound brindle just loped around, so his father warned him it was not typical. Murray felt invincible back then. However, the second bull threw him and stepped on his jaw, breaking it. Murray figures he would have quit after that had his affection for the sport not been complete. At 12 years old, Murray rode his first bareback horse in a rodeo. It was the first time he had been somewhat scared riding livestock; he referred to it as "spooky."

In 1987, he enrolled in the fall semester of Odessa College, a two year school in Odessa, Texas. The school's proximity to some nearby PRCA rodeos was one of the deciding factors. In 1988, at 18 years old, he was old enough to join the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), which he did promptly. Murray was set on trying for a world championship immediately. The fact that he could attend school and compete simultaneously was another deciding factor. He attended school and competed simultaneously in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, and the PRCA. Murray rode the bull Achey Breaky in round 2 of the finals for 81.5 points. The bull score is calculated to be 40.10 points, but may be slightly off. One notable out from 1994 saw Murray conquer the 1993 PRCA Bucking Bull of the Finals, Gunslinger, for 93 points in the short go of 1994's Bullnanza Nashville. Adriano Moraes was the first world champion for the PBR. All of Murray's PBR competition took place on the Bud Light Cup Series, as it was the PBR's only tour that year.

The records from these earlier years are incomplete. There is no data for 1996. From the years 2000 2002, some data is missing from the PBR's records. Thus, buckoffs are unmarked and bull scores are calculated based on the average bull score and ride score.

In January in Fort Worth, Texas, Murray almost made a qualified ride on 1997 PBR World Champion Bull 315 Panhandle Slim. He was bucked off in 7.60 seconds; the bull scored 44 points. Murray met up with this bull three more times. He bucked off the bull again in Albuquerque, New Mexico in March 1999. In October 1999, he rode the bull at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada for 94 points; the bull was scored 46 points. In January 2001, in Bossier City, Louisiana, he rode the bull for 89 points; the bull was scored 44 points. In May 1995 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Murray got his shot at the famous 1995 PBR World Champion Bull and 1994 1995 PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year Bodacious. The Bull bucked him off in 1.70 seconds. Though he returned to action in the fall of 1997 and finished 7th in the final event, Bullnanza Reno, he did not earn enough money to qualify for the 1997 PBR Finals. In January 1999 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Murray rode Lock & Load for 87 points; the bull scored 42.50 points. In March in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he rode Lock & Load for 89.50 points; the bull scored 44 points. In October 1999 in Columbus, Ohio, he rode the bull yet again for 87.50 points; the bull scored 43 points. In March in Colorado Springs, Colorado, he got a shot at 1999 PBR World Champion Bull Promise Land. The bull threw him off and earned 46.50 points. In April in Nampa, Idaho, he rode Dirt Dobber for 90.50 points; the bull scored 44.50 points. He won the event in Nampa after riding Psycho for 87.50 points in the short go, but landed on his left elbow and dislocated his shoulder at the end of the ride, causing him to miss the next two events. He came back to ride in Nashville, Tennessee, where he rode Bone Collector for 92 points, while the bull scored 44 points. In the final event of the year in Columbus, Ohio that October, Murray again rode Coyote Ugly, this time for 92.50 points, winning his third event of the year; the bull scored 46 points.

In November 1999, Murray made a cameo appearance in an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger in Season 8, Episode 8, titled "Widow Maker." The star, Chuck Norris, discovered after the show that Murray practiced a martial art. True to form, it was due to Murray being one not to "toot his own horn." Murray has credited the martial art of Nippon Kempo as aiding him in his rodeo skills. In 2006, Murray was featured in the Miller Lite "Man Laws" series of commercials with movie star Burt Reynolds. Murray is currently a commentator for the PBR on CBS. In 2007 Murray, along with his wife Jewel, appeared in the ABC reality television series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, featuring a dozen celebrities in a stock car racing competition. In the first round of competition, Murray matched up against skateboarder Tony Hawk and actress Krista Allen. John Elway won the series in the final match. In the summer of that same year, CMT televised Ty Murray's Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge. Murray attempted to teach nine celebrities how to ride a bull, survive a fall, and compete at one major PBR event. In January 2008 he appeared as himself in an episode of CSI. On February 8, 2009, it was announced that both Murray and Jewel would be contestants on the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars, signifying the first time a husband and wife appeared as contestants on the show in the same season; however, Jewel had to withdraw from the competition due to an injury sustained during pre season practice. Murray was partnered with new Dancing with the Stars professional dancer Chelsie Hightower. Murray was eliminated in the tenth week semifinals. Also in 2009, Murray and Jewel appeared on the HGTV Celebrity Holiday Homes special. In January 2010 Murray and Jewel appeared on the ABC reality series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Murray has been married twice. The first was the singer Jewel whom he married in 2008; they divorced in 2014. The second is Paige Duke, whom he married in 2017.

In 1999 Murray met singer/songwriter Jewel at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, Colorado. It was just sheer chance that Ty was the one who got her tickets to the sold out event through a mutual acquaintance. Her full name is Jewel Kilcher. She is the daughter of Atz Kilcher, an Alaskan all around cowboy, so she grew up riding horses and competing in local rodeos. She and Ty conducted their relationship by telephone for the first nine months, while they were on the road touring separately. When their relationship became serious enough, Jewel moved into Ty's ranch in Stephenville, Texas. As Ty got to know her, he discovered that her ranching background was much stronger than he and his buddies realized. On a pack trip, they discovered just how tough she was. She grew up in a house with no amenities, no heat, no electricity, and no running water, with an outhouse, so she was right at home in the cabin he had built on his ranch that similarly outfitted. Likewise, Jewel brought Ty into her music world; they co wrote the song "Till We Run Out of Road" together one night. The song is featured on her This Way album. The song is about Murray and his former traveling partner and mentor, Cody Lambert, who is now the livestock director of the PBR. It discusses how he misses his family. There's also a piece that discusses the late hall of famer Lewis Feild, who rode out of the limelight as Murray rode in. Jewel also mentioned him, though not by name, in her song "Stephenville, TX" which is on her Goodbye Alice in Wonderland album. She appears with him in one of the "Man Law" commercials. On August 7, 2008, Murray and Jewel eloped to the Bahamas. Murray, 38, and Kilcher, 34, had been together for a decade when they decided to get married. There was no previous engagement announcement. "I dreamt about this day since I was a little girl on a ranch in Alaska," Jewel said. "It was relaxed and romantic. I wore a traditional wedding gown and diamonds, and he wore jeans and a button down shirt. Ty's definitely my perfect prince." On Monday evening, July 11, 2011, Jewel gave birth to a son. Jewel was 36 years old at the time. The baby boy weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces. Jewel and her husband had spent two years trying to conceive. On July 2, 2014, Jewel announced on her blog that she and her husband Ty Murray had decided to get a divorce. She further elaborated that they had been engaged in a difficult but thoughtful separation. Jewel was age 40, while Murray was age 44. Their son turned three a week after the announcement. Jewel also confirmed that the couple would raise their son together.

In December, Paige Duke, an ERA reporter at the time, was attending an after party for the 2014 NFR when she saw Murray. She immediately thought of her boss, the president of RIDE TV, in terms of getting Murray's email address for him. Right after she procured Murray's email address, he left the party. Murray got her contact information the next day, and they went for dinner. From then on they were inseparable and in time moved in together at Murray's ranch in Stephenville, Texas. Early in 2016, Murray took Duke on a long hike to Hope Lake, Colorado, to an altitude of 12,000 feet above sea level. It was a three mile trip. Duke shared that she had wanted to get married on a mountaintop. Murray and her mother realized that was logistically impossible. So Murray proposed to her on one instead. They planned their wedding for September. Duke had selected a natural spring in North Carolina to hold the wedding, which was actually an old rock quarry. The plan was for Murray's father and son to be his best men. Engagement details were available on Paige's Facebook page. On September 30, 2017, Murray married Duke in Mooresville, North Carolina. Duke was born and raised in Lancaster, South Carolina. They were married at The Quarry at Carrigan Farms in Mooresville. Duke wore a white lace wedding gown, and Murray wore denim, a vest, and black cowboy hat. Murray's son wore an outfit that matched his father's. On September 24, 2018, Murray and Duke welcomed their first child together, a daughter.