Ty Murray

Professional rodeo cowboy Ty Murray racked up a series of awards and honors, beginning in the late '80s, that pushed him to the forefront of his chosen sport. A native of Phoenix, AZ, and the son of a rodeo hand father and bull-riding mother, Murray won his first rodeo in primary school, then aggressively began to save money breaking colts and parlayed his earnings into the purchase of a mechanical bull-riding machine. As a young adult, Murray quickly worked his way into two elite and exclusive rodeo organizations -- the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) and the Professional Cowboys Rodeo Association (PCRA) -- and made a series of historical firsts. In addition to checking in as the youngest millionaire rodeo star in history, he became the first individual since Larry Mahan to qualify for the NFR in all three rough-stock events, won seven All-Around World Championship titles, and qualified as the reserve PBR Bud Light Cup World Champion three years in a row. The passage of Murray's career witnessed him sustaining innumerable injuries, from which he smoothly recovered, seemingly without effort. He ultimately retired from professional rodeo competition and maintained his ranch in Stephenville, TX.

In 2008, Murray married his girlfriend of 10 years, singer/songwriter Jewel. Later that year, it was announced that he would be appearing alongside his wife on the popular reality show Dancing with the Stars. - Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide