Early in his career, he was known as "the guy Doctor Proctor (the bull) was named after." More recently, he's been known as J.B. Mauney's brother-in-law.

In fact, when Shane Proctor won a Built Ford Tough Series event in New York in January of 2010, the television crew trotted out Mauney for the post-event interview.

"It was kind of weird when you win an event and they bring your brother-in-law out there to do the interview with you," recalled Proctor.

'I had to go out and prove myself,' Proctor said. 'I hope I made my point.'

"I never really understood because I was still a professional bull rider and I was riding well."

To say he's been riding well this year would be an understatement.

In 2011, he finished a career-best ninth in the Built Ford Tough Series standings despite being unable to compete in the final four regular-season events. He won the event in San Antonio - the third BFTS title of his career.

He was ranked seventh in riding percentage (45.33 percent), 10th in bulls ridden (34), tied for sixth with five round wins, had a career-best eleven Top 10 finishes, and tied a career high with four Top 5 finishes.

Shane Proctor goes 4.73 seconds on Flight 107 on Oct. 27. He has not been on a bull since, opting to let his torn groin muscle heal.

During the summer break, he won both the Calgary Stampede and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, and beginning tomorrow in Las Vegas, he will compete in the National Finals Rodeo. He leads the PRCA bull riding standings with $171,778 - about $40,000 more than defending champion J.W. Harris.

"I had to go out and prove myself," Proctor said. "I hope I made my point."

As he focuses his attention on the next 10 days at the NFR, he said he doesn't see himself as having had two separate seasons, but rather the kind of single, long, eventful season that's he's always expected from himself.

"It hasn't been a great year," he said, "but it's been a really good year, and I'm still waiting for that magical season. I feel like I'm still working toward that now. There's always the dream of getting both [the PBR and PRCA world titles] in the same year, which would be really cool.

"I just feel like the harder I work, the more stuff that's going to happen, and I expect big things."

'I just feel like the harder I work, the more stuff that's going to happen, and I expect big things.'

In recent weeks, he's been interviewed about his first experience at the NFR, and has taken the inquiries in stride.

"This isn't my first time in the Thomas & Mack," he explained. "They've asked me, 'Well, guys who are chasing you have more experience at the NFR coming out of the yellow bucking chutes.' I said, 'Yeah, I never came out of the yellow bucking chutes, but I've been out of a lot of bucking chutes.'

He'll turn 27 in March, and is no longer considered a young gun in the PBR.

"I'm one of the older guys on tour now …  well, middle," he said. "I feel like I'm riding better as I'm getting older. That's the one perk from it. Each year I've gotten better."

He later added, "To be in the position I am now, it's something that I feel like I've worked for and kind of preparing for it all my life through different associations and different venues."