Ode to Ty
They say America no longer has heroes and they say we shouldn’t let our children look to sports figures as role models …I say they overlooked the sport of rodeo! I’m Susan Allen in studio today for Jeff Keane who is moving cattle and after the commercial break I’ll be back with one bull rider who has shown America’s that humility and etiquette still count. My son Tommy interned this summer for a large firm in Portland and in one of his first calls home he commented how surprised he was that urban men no longer opened doors for women. Etiquette doesn’t count for much today, that is until one well known rodeo star Mr. Ty Murray landed a role on Dancing with the Stars. A super star in his own right married to mega star Jewel, Ty stepped out his comfort zone to dance with the likes of rapper Lil Kim and others who make their lively hood performing on stage. It isn’t Ty’s dancing skills that have helped him outlast half the cast, it is because he is refreshing humble, always giving credit to his partner, respectful to the judges and obviously adores his wife. When Jewel jokingly explained Ty’s idea of romance was a fist full of wildflowers while horseback riding together …. you could hear the women in the audience sigh. Unlike the reality show Toughest Cowboy that I believe has tarnished our sport, I applaud Ty Murray, not just for Dancing with the Stars but for being a true gentleman who has represented the sport of rodeo so positively to a national audience.
