JONESVILLE, La. - Chris Shivers' career couldbe defined by the two world titles he won.
His toughness could be illustrated by the time a bull reared up inthe chute and slammed his face into a metal rail. He broke his jaw,cracked a facial bone, and shattered his eye socket, but missedonly three months of competition. He would have been back soonerbut for an eye infection.
His ability might be best proven by the ninety-two 90-point rideshe's earned in a career in which he became the first PBR rider toearn $1 million, $2 million and $3 million.
But what truly set the Louisiana native apart was an unyieldingdesire to win.
'The PBR is way better off because ChrisShivers was part of it and is part of it.'
Ending months of speculation, Shivers recently said, "As far asbeing done, this is it for me. It's my last year."
In October, when his illustrious career comes to a close at theThomas & Mack Center in what will be a PBR-record 15th WorldFinals appearance, Shivers is as much a shoo-in for the PBR Ring ofHonor as any rider in history.
"He's the most hot-[stuff] thing the PBR has ever seen," saidfellow two-time World Champion JustinMcBride.
"I'm proud of him and for him," said PBR co-founder CodyLambert. "The PBR is way better off because Chris Shiverswas part of it and is part of it.
Chris Shivers won his first World Championship in2000.
"He's done a lot for the PBR just from leading by example - bybeing a great bull rider and not being a diva and crybaby athlete.He's a great bull rider, a quiet cowboy, treats people withrespect, and he will kick your [butt] if you mess with him. That isChris Shivers. That's not something you see on the big screen.Those guys who are heroes in movies - quiet, nice, shy people, whoif you mess with them they'll kick your [butt] - ChrisShivers is really that guy."
PRODIGY
Shivers was born and raised in Jonesville, La. He lives theretoday.
At 13, he got on his first bull at one of several local practicepens, and a year later he "made a pretty decent living." Unlikeother teens who traveled together, he drove to events with hisparents, and returned home at night.
"I went for one reason, and one reason only," he recalled. "Ididn't go to play and go out at night. I was there to win, and Iwon more than a lot of people at a young age."
At 15, he won a brand-new truck. By the time he was 16, he waswinning money at every event he entered. "I was riding against thebig boys," Shivers said. "I was young, but I went to all the biggerbull ridings and I was paying my own way."
'He did his entire career as a professionalbull rider in the PBR. What that means is his entire career wasgoing up against the best bulls in the world - getting on the rankones.'
Since turning pro at age 18, every event he's ridden in has been aPBR-sanctioned event. Not once has he ever competed for any otherassociation, organization or league.
"I'll always be involved with the PBR as long as they'll allow meto," he said. "I'm one of the guys that have been faithful to thePBR the entire time that I've been here. For how many ever yearsI've been riding, that's all I've ever done."
"In a way, he is a pioneer," Lambert said. "He did his entirecareer as a professional bull rider in the PBR. What that means ishis entire career was going up against the best bulls in the world- getting on the rank ones."
THE ROAD TO GREATNESS
"Everyone who remembers Chris coming around as an 18-year-oldremembers knowing that he was going to be the World Champion,"Lambert recalled. "I know for me personally, I didn't have to watchhim ride five bulls or 10 bulls or half the season before I decidedthis kid is good. I had to see him ride one bull."
His fundamentals were nearly flawless.
Whatever the reason - skill, size, strength - Chris Shiverscan dress up a bull ride like no one else.
He's small and strong, a winning combination.
"He's so tiny, and he rides like he's huge," McBride said. "Hewent at them."
It didn't take long for Shivers to prove just how fearless he was.Lambert said the newcomer was 18 or 19 years old when a bull hithim in the head. "It just hammered him," Lambert said. "He cameback and rode just as good. He was fearless."
Early in his career he traveled with Bubba Dunnand Norman Curry. Lambert said both are greatriders who aren't remembered nearly as much as they should be, andthat Shivers learned how to ride, compete and become a champion bytraveling with them.
Shivers, Lambert said, took the best parts from each of them "andthen raised that to a better level than they were."
Later in his career he traveled with PRCA World ChampionMike White.
In 1997, he was the Touring Pro Division Champion. In 1999, he wonthe Lane Frost/Brent Thurman Award for the first time (he would doit again in 2001). In 2000, he claimed the TPD title for a secondtime, and won his first PBR World Championship.
In 2003, he became the second two-time World Champion in PBRhistory.
"Chris Shivers never had to learn how to take defeat," Lambertexplained. "He showed up and he could win."
'Chris Shivers never had to learn how totake defeat. He showed up and he could win.'
In three of his first five years in the PBR, he set single-seasonearnings records. He was the first rider to reach $1 million, $2million and $3 million. He currently ranks second in all-timecareer earnings with $3.8 million, and he's third on the all-timelist of event wins with 21. He's won as many as five in a singleseason; three times he won three.
UNPRECEDENTED
Shivers has always been known for being flashy and quick, and eventoday he's still able to get the most out of every bull.
He not only has nearly double the total number of 90-point rides(92) than any other rider (Guilherme Marchi comesclosest with 52), but he also has more than 60 rides marked between88 and 89.75 points.
It's unknown how many of those 150-plus rides resulted in roundwins, or, as Lambert asked, how many times he might have bucked offat 7.8 or 7.9 "when he was fixing to be 90 points."
"That's one judge being a point different on a bull," saidMcBride. "Chris Shivers was built to be 90. I think he reallythrived on it.
"There's no telling how long if ever somebody will beat that.That's not one or two good years to get to that, that's a career ofgreatness."
Chris Shivers collected his second World Championship bucklein 2003.
He has five scores among the 50 highest in PBR history,including two of the four highest scores of all time at 96.5points.
In 2000, Shivers was in Tampa, Fla., when he rode JimJam for 96.5 points to tie Dunn's mark, which was set ayear earlier. A year later, he matched it when he coveredDillinger at the World Finals.
"Everything that I do, I go to the extreme with it," Shiverssaid.
"He got the most out of every bull," Lambert said.
EVOLUTION
Speculation about Shivers' retirement began in earnest at the endof the 2008 season, when McBride retired. It reached a high pointin 2010 with the retirement of Shivers' best friend White.
"People can speculate," said McBride, whose own decision to retireat the age of 30 was second-guessed, "but nobody can make thatdecision for him. He has to make it for himself, and he knows thatbetter than anybody."
Shivers admitted it's been hard listening to others talk about hisfuture.
"It's kind of like getting your teeth knocked out," he explained."You get reminded of that one thing every day. That's just whatthey're going to talk about. They're not going to talk about thetime you were 90 and you this or that. They're going to talk aboutall the wrecks or all the negative things. That bothers me.
"I'm going out the way I want to. Nobody is forcing me to doanything. I have too many doubts now that this isn't where I needto be. … I still think I can beat these guys if I dedicate my heartand soul into it, but I don't think I can."
While sitting on planes, he thinks about the things he could bedoing at home. In the locker room, he thinks about things he wouldrather be doing.
Speaking only from his own experience, McBride said it's a strangefeeling to no longer want to do something one has done for so manyyears. "It was also a huge relief that I didn't have to do itanymore," McBride said.
'You knew there was a chance of somethingmonumental and exciting about to happen every time he came out ofthe chute.'
Lambert said while others might be sad to see Shivers walk awayfrom the sport, he's happy for him. "He gets to go on to the nextphase of his life with something," Lambert said. "He earnedeverything he has."
Shivers and his wife Kylie, who married followingthe 2001 season, have two sons, Brand andBlayne.
Lambert remembers a BFTS event shortly after Brand was born, whena profile of Shivers was shown on a big screen in the arena.
Shivers was in the chute.
"It showed a picture of his son on the screen, at the back of thearena, and you could see Chris look up to watch it and smiling,"Lambert said. "He was so focused on watching that baby, but then hewent back to business and you just knew he was going to ride thatbull, because he was riding for a different reason than justhimself."
Lambert later added, "What's so cool about it is that we got tosee Chris Shivers grow up. He was a kid when he came, and then hewas a champion, and then he got married and started afamily."
The Shivers family lives on a ranch where they raise cattle, andhunt and fish together. He built a covered arena and has hostedbull riding schools, calf roping events and, most recently, ajunior bull riding event featuring mini bulls.
Shivers said he's happy to have created so many opportunities athome with his family, and that he no longer thinks about bullriding nonstop.
Even late in his career, Chris Shivers' rides are positivelyelectric.
"If you're not willing to do that, then winning a WorldChampionship is pretty farfetched," said Shivers, who only sees onereason to ride bulls-winning.
"It's going to suck that he's not there to bring you that level ofexcitement," said McBride, who credits Shivers with pushing himthroughout his own 10-year career.
"It's that way in any sport. Before Brett Favrewent crazy that's the way he was. He made it so exciting to watch,and you knew that something special could happen any time the ballwas snapped. That's the way Chris Shivers' whole career has been.You knew there was a chance of something monumental and excitingabout to happen every time he came out of the chute.
"I think there's going to be a void there right now," McBridecontinued. "Maybe someday, 50 years from now, somebody like himwill come along, but it'll be a long time."
UP NEXT: Shivers will compete at the AtlantaInvitational this weekend. Action from the Georgia Dome will bebroadcast Saturday on NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus - samenumber, new name) at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT, 7 p.m. MT, and 6 p.m.PT.