Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower
Dances: Samba & Viennese Waltz

Ty seems to be better with dances where he can really get loose, so the Samba should have been perfect for him.

"The Samba is supposed to be like a party, but it's more like a pain the ass with a whole lot of steps you gotta remember," he said.

We were trying to figure out what he was doing before the music started, but it turns out he was just getting ready to drum on Chelsie's behind.

It seemed like Ty tripped up pretty bad around the middle of the routine, but we definitely have to hand it to him for taking a shot at it. And, if nothing else, he learned how to shake his booty.

"You threw everthing but the kitchen sink in that Samba.  You lost your footing at the corner, but a brave, brave effort," Bruno critiqued during judging.

"Ty, I vote you Most Valuable Player of Season 8," Carrie Ann said. "Your hard work and determination, with that you remind people that you can places you never dreamed."

The cowboy was eager to prove why he'd earned that honor from Carrie Ann, and the Viennese Waltz was the perfect chance to do just that.

"My fans went out on a limb and kept me on the show over a better-skilled dancer. Now, I have to justify their votes and it starts with this Viennese Waltz," said Ty. "My goal with the Viennese Waltz is to make it look smooth, effortless and graceful."

He didn't think the chances of him reaching that goal were very good, and he was right. There were a few wobbles in the performance, which proved to be the most hotly-contested dance of the night. The judges went back and forth so much that we were waiting for one of the chivari chairs to go flying across the  floor.

"I don't think anyone has worked harder, no one has struggled more than you and no one definitely has tried more than you throughout this series to become a dancer," said Len. "Overall, I thought it was fabulous."

"He nearly dropped her! His arms were like chasing flies," Bruno yelled. That's when the fight started. Things got so heated that Carrie Ann tried to hold Len back, and she barely got to give her own comments.

"Tonight you've struggled. It wasn't your best dance," Carrie said. Thank God for microphones because if she hadn't had it on there's no way you would have heard her over Bruno and Len going back and forth.

Their argument got so bad that the host just had to usher Ty and Chelsie off the floor as the judges kept shouting over each other.  In our opinion, that was the best performance of the night. 

By the way, Ty and Chelsie got a score of 48 out of 60 for what was his last night in the competition. The cowboy didn't seem to take being cut too hard.

"I have a whole new respect for what these guys do," he said. "Trying to teach me to dance is like trying to teach a blind guy to paint."

His partner, Chelsie, said she was proud fo the strides he'd made in the competition before they took their final dance.

-- Sonya Eskridge