Veteran rodeo fans will remember a time when the king of the cowboys rode bucking stock, a time when Ty Murray won seven all-around titles while competing in the bull riding, bareback riding, and saddle bronc riding.

After announcing that he would make his last ride in the PBR at Madison Square Garden’s Monster Energy Buck Off event, Shane Proctor has stepped up to the all-around plate for 2018. If he’s successful, this bull rider and saddle bronc rider could be the first roughstock all around champion since Ty Murray won his last crown in 1998.

Since then, the all-around title has been claimed by timed event competitors, including Trevor Brazile’s 13 titles that were only broken up by one competitor from 2002 to 2015. But Proctor has already shown he has what it takes to earn the money needed to win the coveted PRCA title, coming just shy two years ago.

“I would have won it by $70,000, but you have to qualify in two events with $3,000,” Proctor said to PBR’s Justin Felisko. “I won $2,600 in the bronc riding and missed it by $400 to be eligible.”

After 12 years as a PBR bull rider — also juggling his PRCA rodeo schedule for several years — the yearning for that ultimate title was too strong for the champion.

“I have been a good bull rider doing both associations for several years, and now I want to be a great cowboy,” Proctor said. “I have always wanted to win an all-around title. I figure I will be 33 in March, and I thought, ‘Well my time is starting to run out.’"

Most bull riders competing at his level don’t dabble in both associations, but Proctor has seen success to the tune of over a million dollars in career earnings in each of the two associations, nine PBR World Finals qualifications, five NFR qualifications, and the 2011 bull riding world title.

Growing up in the western lifestyle, competitors know the difference between someone who can rope or ride, and someone that earns the moniker of "cowboy," something Tuf Cooper explained to ProRodeo.com shortly after winning his first all-around title last year.

“This is the best title and the best buckle you can win in rodeo,” Cooper said. “Trevor really created this award by winning it all those times. I just grew up as a kid who wanted to rope calves like my dad and brother-in-law. They both have won the all-around, and now I have one, too. This one feels different than the three tie-down roping gold buckles I have because this one says ‘cowboy’ on it.”

With the addition of a roughstock cowboy, coupled with recent all-around champions like Junior Nogueira in 2016 and most recently Tuf Cooper joining the mix, the all-around race is anyone’s game in 2018.