Growing up, Paul Tierney’s hero was Phil Lyne, a five-time PRCA World Champion. It was Lyne who inspired Tierney to go for the All-Around.
“I wanted to be the highest money earner in the whole game. That was my goal. And I wanted to win the world in the calf roping. That was another goal, you know, we have set goals, we have to work for goals,” Tierney said.
It took a hard lesson in 1977 and a wrist injury in 1978 before Tierney captured a World Championship in 1979. He won the calf roping title by $100 and decided that the next year would be his year to win the All-Around.
Tierney went on to win the All-Around Gold Buckle by around $50,000 in 1980.
“… a very special moment, loved every minute of it, the highlight of a kid’s career,” he said.
Piece by piece, Tierney’s rodeo career fell into place and today, he is a legend.