PUEBLO, Colo. (October 29, 2010) - There’s only one man left on the dirt who was there when Adriano Moraes won the first PBR world title in 1994.
He was still working the PBR World Finals last weekend, when Renato Nunes won the 17th title in PBR history.
Legendary bullfighter Joe Baumgartner has been voted by the top bull riders in the world to work every Finals in PBR history.
“It’s an honor,” said Baumgartner last Sunday, just before the start of the final round of the 2010 PBR World Finals. “The accomplishment is that I lived through Cody Lambert, when he was riding, and I’ve seen a lot of champions and a lot of great bull riders come and go.”
He was there for all three of Moraes’ world titles. He was there for each title won by Chris Shivers and Justin McBride.
Baumgartner outlasted the Iron Man career of J.W. Hart. He was at the 2009 Finals when J.B. Mauney became the first man to ride all eight bulls, and for his 93.75-point effort on Crosswired in 2008 – the highest-marked ride in Finals history.
But when asked if 2010 would be his final year, Baumgartner hesitated.
“I don’t know,” he said. “There’s a chance.”
“I still love fighting bulls,” he said. “I still love everything about it. I just hate the travel. I have two boys that are 11 and 12, and I’m kind of missing them growing up.
“I want my boys to be mine and my wife’s kids – not be just my wife’s sons. Like I said, I still like fighting bulls. I still get the same rush I did 17 years ago, but just the travel, man, it’s knocking me out. I’m just tired.”
For the 44-year-old, it’s not just about his family in California. It’s also about his bullfighting family – Shorty Gorham, Frank Newsom and Jesse Byrne.
“When I feel like I’m putting the riders in danger with me being out there, and when I’m putting the guys I’m working with in danger, I am not going to do anything possible to hurt those guys,” said Baumgartner, who was voted as the alternate for the upcoming Built Ford Tough Series.
“When it comes to a time I feel it or they feel it and it’s my time, then it’s time. It might be in the middle of an event somewhere and I just say, ‘I’m done. I can’t do it anymore.’”
The veteran said he’s leaning toward working a scaled-down schedule in 2011.
“I feel great. My legs feel good. My body feels good,” said Baumgartner, who had a huge influence on the career of Gorham, who grew up in Southern California. “Like I said, my talent in the arena, I still feel like I have it. It used to be I was tired when events got over. Now I go to some of those events on the East Coast and I’m tired when I get there. The motivation is still there once I get to the arena. It’s just the dead time that wears me out.
“I’m never going to be like Brett Favre. When it’s time to go, it’s time to go.”
NEWS AND NOTES
TY MURRAY WILL BE APPEARING ON TWO TOP-RATED TV SHOWS ON MONDAY, Nov. 1. The King of the Cowboys will be introduced during the opening of Monday’s hit series “Dancing with the Stars.” In celebrating their 200th episode, they’ve invited the alumni of all the past seasons to join them during the taping of the live broadcast, which can be seen on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
Murray will also be featured in a pre-taped segment during ESPN’s coverage of “Monday Night Football.” The nine-time World Champion filmed a segment talking about Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams, who is known by teammates as “The Bull.” This week’s game features the Indianapolis Colts and the Texans, and Murray’s segment is scheduled to air during the pre-game telecast at 8:10 p.m. ET.
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