DECATUR, Texas — It was the last ride of J.W. Hart's illustrious career, but the notorious bull Cat Man Do made short work of the popular cowboy.

After Hart asked for the chute gate to be opened at a Professional Bull Riders show that bears his name on Saturday night in Decatur, Texas, Cat Man Do spun to the left and had Hart on the ground in about two or three seconds.

However, Hart, 34, the 2002 PBR World Finals average winner from Overbrook, Okla. didn't seem to mind. He had not climbed on a bull in 10 months and had planned on slowly fading out of competition.

But after some coaxing from his wife LeAnn, and the organizing committee at Decatur, Hart's retirement didn't go unnoticed. He faced his last bull during a highly publicized exhibition ride at a crowded arena during the sixth annual J.W. Hart PBR Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour event.

Fans showed lots of appreciation for the opportunity to witness the retirement of a cowboy who has $1.35 million in PBR earnings and is a PBR Ring of Honor member.

"We filled the stands, but it was really to give the people a goodbye," Hart said. "The last time that I rode was at Cheyenne, and I got bucked off there and I didn't realize at the time that I wasn't going anywhere again. I didn't know at the time that it would be my last ride (in competition). But I got really busy and Versus came to me to be a commentator and all that fell together. So, I just decided that it wasn't worth risking life or limb and it was better to stand behind a mic."

For more than a year, Hart has been a popular commentator on the PBR's Versus telecasts, and he and LeAnn recently adopted a son, Wacey, named after Wacey Cathey, a 1980s-era bull riding star.

"The Lord has blessed me," Hart said "All the stars lined up with Versus and adopting Wacey. With all of the years and the miles, I just thought it would be a great time to quit. But it made sense to give one last ride to the fans. It was something to look forward to, to enjoy and to remember.

"Of course, I'd like to have ridden the bull. I've never showed up thinking: I want to get bucked off and that's what's going to make me happy. But, it wasn't about winning. It wasn't about staying on or getting bucked off. I felt like I gave it my all and I tipped my hat to everybody. I bucked off, but it kind of closed a chapter that I didn't leave anything on the table."

Cody Lambert, the PBR's longtime livestock director and a founding father of the association who came to watch Hart, said Hart has been a tremendous asset to the sport. Hart is a former PBR board member and is a bucking bull owner.

"J.W. has had a great career and he's given a lot to this sport and he continues to do so," Lambert said. "So, it's not really a sad time, it's not like we're not going to see him again, because we see still him a lot. In his prime, J.W. would have had his way with that bull. But we all get old."

David Fournier, another PBR founding father, said Hart had the good sense to realize it was high time to retire.

"I think J.W. finally realized that the ground comes a lot faster and a lot harder," Fournier said. "When he was young, we always told J.W. that when you get older that the ground comes a lot faster, and I think he found that out on his own."

Hart has been an inspiration to younger bull riders such as 2008 PBR Rookie of the Year Reese Cates, who said it was a special moment to witness Hart's departure from the sport. Cates said he appreciates Hart for being brutally honest about a rider's performance on the Versus telecasts.

"Anytime that I'm not doing good on the Built Ford Tough Series or anywhere, J.W. always has something to say about it," Cates said. "It kind of rubs me the wrong way for just a minute, but then it kind of makes me dig down deep for just a minute and say that he's right. I know J.W. has been there and done that and it's time for me to start doing right again."

Hart's honesty about lackluster and brilliant performances on the telecasts have been a big hit with fans. Last year, the PBR polled fans with the following question: "Which is your favorite Versus booth crew (In addition to Justin McKee and Craig Hummer)? Hart received 4,226 votes, seven-time World All-Around Champion Ty Murray pulled in 2,408 and 1997 World Champion Michael Gaffney got 2,286.

Hart also commands respect from PBR Built Ford Tough Series star Brian Canter, who said he remembers Hart visiting the 1995 World Champion Jerome Davis in North Carolina.

"When I was little, I looked up to J-Dub a lot," said Canter, who is from North Carolina. "He used to come to Jerome Davis' house at lot and would hang out. When I know J.W., I know him as a cowboy. I look up to J.W. because he fits my style of riding. I like the way he rode. He's a great role model for anybody."

Hart has a longtime reputation for toughness. He was nicknamed "Iron Man" after competing in a record (since broken by Luke Snyder) 197 consecutive shows (1994-2003) on the Professional Bull Riders' top tour, now called the Built Ford Tough Series.

Ross Coleman, a longtime PBR Ford Series star, said he's long admired Hart.

"He's accomplished more than most any bull rider," Coleman said. "But when the time comes, you've got to hang it up. He got bucked off, but it was a really cool deal. The bull overachieved, and really bucked. But J.W. is a true champion no matter what happens. He's a hero of mine and a good friend."

After Hart made his last ride, his father, Randy, was flooded with emotions.

"I have mixed emotions," Randy Hart said. "We brought him up as a little bitty kid and we didn't think that he'd get big enough to get in the PRCA and the PBR, and now he's out of both of them. It just happens so quick and so fast and we've had a good run. He's ridden well."

On May 16, Hart, was inducted into the PBR Ring of Honor, along with three-time PBR World Champion Adriano Moraes and two-time World Champion Justin McBride, during ceremonies in Pueblo, Colo.

In an interview shortly after his final ride, Hart said it was clear that his time was up.

"My reaction time isn't there anymore," Hart said. "I've packed 15 or 20 pounds on me and that didn't help. I don't have what it takes to ride PBR-Finals-caliber bulls. That's a reality, and I'm OK with it. Whatever I do, I tell the truth. You might not like me for telling the truth. But I'll tell the truth about myself. I don't have it, and hadn't had it for while. I didn't put myself on the PBR World Cup team last year, and I'm not going to put myself on the team this year. And I won't say I can ride any bull standing here, because I proved it tonight."