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Thursday, February 20, 1997

Injured champion vows he'll ride into action again

By RICH BURK Houston Chronicle

HOUSTON - He's spent much of the past two rodeo seasons on the sidelines because of injuries, rodeoing for only about five or six months in 1995 and '96. Now he faces another six-month layoff.

But don't even think that Ty Murray, one of rodeo's all-time greats, is considering retirement. He's only 27 and "that's about the time that most (rodeo cowboys) reach their prime," he said.

Nobody would blame Murray, however, if he seriously considered getting off the hard-riding bulls and broncs, and hanging 'em up. In the past two years, he's missed time with a right knee injury, sustained during the bull-riding event at the 1995 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and an injury to his left shoulder.

Both injuries involved ligaments and required surgery. As a result, he's had to spend long periods on the sidelines.

On March 3, the day after the 1997 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo ends, Murray is scheduled to undergo surgery for a ligament injury to his dislocated right shoulder. He will be out until early September.

Because he'll miss so much of the prime part of the rodeo season, he'll also miss the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas for the second straight year.

"It's a disappointment, but there's nothing I can do about it,"Murray said. "After the operation, I'll spend the time off rehabilitating; my (Stephenville) ranch will keep me busy and I'll get a chance to work with my sponsors."

So for six months, he'll be trading bulls and broncs for barbells and boardrooms.

Murray sustained the torn ligament in his right shoulder on Feb. 8 at a Professional Bull Riders Association event. The six-time all-around world champion fell hard on his right shoulder when he was thrown by a bull.

Some people have wondered why Murray was competing in the non-Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event. After all, as the best-known member of the PRCA, he's recognized even by people who don't follow rodeo.

"What I do is ride bulls, and I ride bulls at PBRA events because they have the best riders and the best bulls," he said. "The purse was $25,000, which is more than they'll be giving away (for the bull-riding event) here.

"I'm going to go where the money is."

He's been doing that for quite a while. In 1993, one of the six times he was the world all-around champion, Murray set a single-season PRCA record with nearly $300,000, and a single-season NFR record with nearly $125,000.

In his career, Murray has earned nearly $1.3 million. Not bad for a 27-year-old.

For the second straight year, he's watching the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo from another vantage point. Murray is providing color commentary for the show. And why not? He's ridden in the saddle-bronc, bareback-bronc and bull-riding events since he became a professional cowboy in 1988.

"I'd rather be out there," said Murray, pointing to the vast, four-acre pasture that is the Astrodome floor. "But I enjoy this, too."

Murray has missed the Houston rodeo for two straight years as well, a disappointment to his grandmother Georgia Ware, who lives in Houston. He said he wants to return as a participant next year.

"I've just had some bad luck,"he said. "Half of (rodeoing) is staying healthy."

He added: "One thing about rodeoing, it teaches you to roll with the punches. I've learned that the last couple of years."

Retirement? That's for old guys.

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