Ty Murray, King of Cowboys” spent the summers of his youth in New Mexico (Ruidoso, Santa Fe) due to his father’s job as a rodeo hand and a racetrack starter, and eventually lived in Pena Blanca.  Ty was quoted as saying to the ABQ Journal, “Man, those days were always so special for me. It’s my second home. Heck, it really was home for me. We lived in Pena Blanca for a while.” Ty started the Ty Murray Invitational in 1996 at Tingley Coliseum; which moved to The Pit in 2009 and regularly plays to sellout crowds.
The Ty Murray Invitational celebrated its 20th anniversary in March 2016. It is the third oldest event on the PBR schedule (behind Billings, Montana and Las Vegas, Nevada)

Accomplishments:

• 7-time World All-Around Rodeo Champion (1989-1994, 1998); the only 7-time World Champion All-around in professional rodeo history in the roughstock events
• 2-time World Bull Riding Champion (1993 and 1998)
• 1988 Rodeo Overall and Bareback Rookie of the Year
• Most accomplished roughstock rodeo athlete in the sport’s 100 years – bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback riding.
• In 1991, Sports Illustrated proclaimed, “That’s the best danged rodeo cowboy of ‘em all.”
• At age 23 Murray became the youngest millionaire in rodeo history; ended his career with nearly $3 million in earnings
• Co-founder of the PBR in 1992
• 1999 PBR World Finals Event Champion
• 3-time Reserve PBR World Champion (1999-2001)
• President of the PBR (2004 – 2007)
• Currently a broadcaster for the PBR on CBS and CBS Sports Network

Miscellaneous:

• Placed 4th in season 8 of ABC’s hit TV show “Dancing with the Stars”
• 2000 ProRodeo Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2002 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2002 PBR Ring of Honor Inductee
• 2006 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2011 Arizona Sports Hall of Fame Inductee