Justin McBride

2009 JUSTIN MCBRIDE One of the most naturally talented bull riders in history, McBride set a host of records in his career. The two-time World Champion broke the single-season event wins record with eight, the most career event wins with 32, and was the richest cowboy in history, topping $5 million in career earnings. That mark was not broken until 2014 when Silvano Alves broke the $5.1 million mark with his third PBR World Championship. A year later, J.B. Mauney became the PBR’s first six million dollar man. When Justin McBride made his debut in Bakersfield, Calif., he was still a kid from Nebraska, who couldn’t even believe he got to put his gear bag in the locker room. But looking back, McBride said he’s most proud of something entirely different: stickers. Competing on television at the highest level of professional bull riding meant sponsor obligations. That meant that longtime PBR employee Jinx Clower had to fasten a series of sponsor stickers on the new kid’s protective vest. “That’s when you knew you had arrived, when you got stickers on your vest,” McBride said. “For me, it was such a huge deal. I remember I was so proud I had stickers on my vest and they were the real stickers.” McBride retired from the sport at the conclusion of the 2008 season.