JW Hart

J.W. Hart’s 15-year professional riding career netted a host of honors, including 1994 Rookie of the Year, 2002 World Champion, and 2004 Challenger Tour Champion. The original “Iron Man,” Hart rode in a then-record 197 consecutive BFTS events, and was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2009. He now raises bulls and works the broadcast booth as an announcer. J.W. Hart’s transition from the amateur ranks to the professional level coincided with the PBR’s establishment of bull riding as a viable stand-alone sport. In those early years, there weren’t many events. In addition to the 20 founders, most included riders like Hart, who were invitees. Hart had been recommended to the others by his friend Jerome Davis, who had seen him ride, and the eager 18-year-old “burned up (the PBR) phone lines” from one event to the next to see if he had made the draw. His then-record of 197 consecutive events became all the more astonishing, considering that he was never certain if he’d have an opportunity to compete.