Few have accomplished what J.W. Harris accomplished in the sport of rodeo and professional bull riding, but he has pulled his bull rope for the last time.  Harris, who resides in Mills County, on Thursday announced his retirement from bull riding in a Facebook post.  Since then accolades and well wishes have numbered in the hundreds from fans, fellow competitors, stock contractors and bullfighters.  Harris, 34, won the PRCA Bull Riding World Championship four times at the National Finals Rodeo where he qualified to compete nine times. The announcement is shown below.

Well I guess there is always an end to anything we do and I guess it’s the end of the bull riding career for me but it’s the beginning of a new chapter in this wonderful life that I have had the blessing of living to this point. It’s hard to put into a Facebook post just how thankful I am for my wonderful wife Jackie Harris. She has sacrificed so much for me to be able to do what I have been doing and Lord knows that I wouldn’t be where I am if she wasn’t in my life. For the sponsors I had by my side, Tony Lama boots, Cinch jeans, American hats, I thank you for all the support along the way. To the fans, there would be no rodeo if it wasn’t for each and every one of you all. Thank you so much for the support and the scrutiny so now it’s time for my family to drag me around and for them to chase their dreams. To the PRCA, thank you for what you’re doing to preserve the western way of life and also the PBR. It was short but I made a lot of friends and can’t imagine my career without the PBR in it. So with that said, peace out. Bull riding is in the rear view mirror. I owe everything I have to the sport and will keep striving to make it better any way possible. And the legends before me, thank you for what you have done, especially Don Gay. You are my hero, thank you for being my friend and biggest critic.