PENDLETON, Ore. ― There are a million reasons why J.W. Harris is ready to compete at PBR events.

Of course, the 10,000-pound elephant in the room would be a $1 million dollar bonus if he were to win a world title, but between now and the end of his career ―"I'm closer to the end than I am the beginning" ― it really has everything to do with 2,000-pound bulls and the opportunity to get on the rankest bulls in the world every time he climbs in the bucking chute and nods his head.

The 27-year-old is also looking forward to the opportunity to spend more time at home with his family.

"I've had a lot of things that I've wanted to do in rodeo," said Harris, who's won three PRCA world titles and is en route to a fourth, "and there are still a lot of things left that I want to do."

Harris has also talked for years about wanting to equal Donnie Gay's record of eight PRCA world titles,

But now is the time to transition to the PBR he said.

"I don't want to get over (here) and get on tour and try to ride (those) bulls being too old," Harris said. "There's a lot of money over (here) to be won ― obviously ― but you just get on better bulls consistently. If a bull doesn't buck with you they'll give you a re-ride to where at a rodeo it's like drawing blood from a rock trying to get a re-ride. And you (have) to put up with the rodeo bull. I'm just tired of getting on them."

PBR livestock director and co-founder Cody Lambert said he is glad to see Harris making the move.

"I think J.W. Harris is capable of competing with the best guys," Lambert said. "I'm really high on his riding and have been for a quiet a while, and I'm glad he's coming over and giving it a try while he's still young enough. I think he's capable of riding the Built Ford Tough Series bulls. In fact, I've seen him ride those kinds of bulls."

Harris is now nine years into his professional career ― he won the PRCA title in 2008, 2009 and again in 2010 ― and feels like he's "ridden every rank bull there is to be (ridden)" on the rodeo trail and he's ready to try his hand at the likes of Bushwacker, Asteroid, Shepherd Hills Tested and I'm a Gangster Too.

Like everyone who follows the sport, he logged onto YouTube last month and watched the video of J.B. Mauney riding Bushwacker for 95.25 points  ― a historical ride that ended the all-time Built Ford Tough Series record of 42 consecutive buckoffs by the 2012 World Champion Bull.

"If you're not into getting on (those) bulls then you need to quit getting on bulls," said Harris, who was happy for Mauney.

He added, "Yeah, it gets me fired up. You see J.B. ride Bushwacker and you see him ride Asteroid and you see him doing all these good things ― the only thing that's eluded him is the world title ― and the guy's won millions."

For the record, Mauney's eighth on the all-time list of PBR money winners with in excess of $3.1 million. Twice he's finished second in the world standings and this year he's currently ranked fourth.

By comparison, Harris earned considerably less having recently surpassed $1.5 million.

Having considered making this transition for the past year or so, Harris recently spoke with several people ― Luke Snyder, L.J. Jenkins and Flint Rasmussen among them ― this past July at the Calgary Stampede. Harris said he and Mauney, 26, also had a great conversation and "that kind of helped make my mind up."

He considers himself good friends with Shane Proctor, 28, who won a PRCA title in 2011 and has been in the Top 15 of the PBR four of the past five years, and Douglas Duncan, 26, who first made the same transition as Harris late in the 2009 season.

Rasmussen was impressed with Harris's maturity and consistency.

"I like him and I like his style," said Rasmussen. "All he does is stay on."

An old school mentality

James Williams Harris was born in Coleman, Texas, but the Harris family moved two hours northeast to Weatherford, where he grew up for much of childhood.

His father Mark broke racehorses and rode bulls. In fact, he was the Texas Circuit Rookie of the Year in 1989 when J.W. was only 3 years old. The second generation bull rider remembers watching future PBR founders like Jim Sharp, Cody Lambert and Tuff Hedeman.

That's where he said his "old school mentality for bull riding" comes from.

However, he also grew up playing football from the time he started in the Pee Wee league through his senior year of high school. He played running back on offense and was a safety on the defensive side of the ball. As one would expect, he loved the contact.

"I loved hitting people," Harris said. "I wasn't afraid to run somebody over or knock somebody's helmet off."

But nothing was going to stand in the way of his becoming a professional bull rider.

As a teenager his family moved to May, Texas, which is not far from his hometown and where he graduated from high school in June 2004. According to Harris, his extended family is from that area of Texas.

Even as an amateur he'd never attended a single bull riding school.

Harris credits his father with teaching him the fundamentals of the sport and working with him behind the house whenever he needed extra work.

"I looked up to him because he taught me everything I know about bull riding," Harris said.

He bought his PRCA permit the day he turned 18 ―July 17, 2004 ― and has been competing professionally nearly every day since.

"It's the only thing I ever wanted to do since I climbed on the back of one," Harris said. "I wanted to be a bull rider and make a living at it.

"I didn't figure I needed college to ride bulls."

Harris and wife Jackie have been married since October 2009 and have two children ― a daughter Aubrey, 2, and son Dillon, 1.

They currently live in Mullin, Texas, which is due west of Waco, but their current place is for sale; Harris said they're planning to buy a ranch in nearby Goldthwaite.

His wife, who has been caring for two kids, their horses and 30-head of cattle (when he finally retires he plans to raise cattle, but not bucking bulls), is excited at the idea that he could be home more during the week, especially in the early part of the season, which is another big part of his decision to transition to what he hopes will be a spot on the Built Ford Tough Series.

Tough start in Pendleton

Harris started his transition in earnest Monday night at the PBR Classic in Pendleton, Ore.

He didn't have to wait long, Harris was the first rider out in the long round and unfortunately he came down early off a bull named Handsome. He's double entered in the event and will compete again Tuesday night at Happy Canyon Arena, which sits next to the Pendleton Round Up.

Five riders covered two bulls, and Ryan Prophet is atop the leaderboard with a combined 175 points. Next in line are Harve Stewart (173.5), Marco Eguchi (170.5), Mike Lee (170) and Edevaldo Ferreira (168.5).

The event continues for a second day with a combined leaderboard to determine the winner of the $40,000-added finale to the summer long RMEF Big Bull Tour. The first night drew a dozen riders who competed this past weekend at the BFTS event in Oakland, Calif., ―Jory Markiss, Guilherme Marchi, Kasey Hayes, Nathan Schaper, Billy Robinson, Agnaldo Cardozo, Jordan Hupp, Lee, Eguchi, Ferreira and Proctor ― with several others, Douglas Duncan and Pistol Robinson among them, in the draw for the final night.

"We'll see what happens," said Harris.

Lambert described Harris' riding style as having finesse and good timing ― smooth.

"He's the best bull rider in (the PRCA)," Lambert said. "I've watch him ride and I know what it takes to ride the different level of bulls that we buck day-in and day-out at the Built Ford Tough Series and he's very capable of riding those kinds of bulls."

Lambert drew comparisons between Harris' physical style and those of Justin McBride, Norman Curry and Terry Don West, but compared his decision to transition to the PBR with that of Mike White, who did the same thing after winning a PRCA world title.

Harris is getting a late start on the 2013 season and it would take a lot of things to go in his favor to have any chance at qualifying for this year's PBR World Finals, but he's planning on being there in 2014.

Much like Proctor, Harris will maintain a duel schedule combining PBR events ― with a priority on the BFTS ― and PRCA rodeos.

"My ultimate goal would be to win the PBR world title and the PRCA world title in one year," he said. "I kind of like setting my goals high. If you don't want to set goals then you don't want to go down as a great in the sport of bull riding, and I want to go down as the greatest bull rider to ever put a bull rope on a bull."

But, ultimately, he's simply looking forward to earning a better living and, at the same time, getting on fewer bulls than he would if he hit the rodeo trail as hard as he has this year.

Despite consistently facing ranker-quality bulls week-in and week-out, next year ought to be easier on his body.

"Yeah, if you sit down and put pen to paper," he said, "you're going to stay fresher going to bull ridings because, I mean, you can jump on an airplane and go. You know where you're going to be at and if it's a three-day event ― Friday, Saturday and Sunday ― you know you're going to be there Friday. With rodeo, you have to enter it and then sit and wait for two weeks and then your plane tickets are outrageous, so it's cheaper to drive. The driving is what kills you - not riding bulls.

"That's the hardest part about it, is driving up and down the road."

Rasmussen said, "That rodeo trail will benefit him."

Lately he's been traveling alone, which makes for long drives and little sleep.

Those all-day drives and overnighters the past month have given him plenty of time to think about matching up with Bushwacker and Asteroid in a Built Ford Tough Championship Round at a future BFTS event.

But he's looking forward to making "a good living for riding the good bulls."

"I'm too old to be riding bulls for free," Harris concluded.

Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.