Clark, along with 21 other top bull riders, will take to the makeshift dirt at WIN Entertainment Centre tonight in what will be one of his final appearances in a decade-long career in the world’s most dangerous sport. 

‘‘A lot of times you feel like you’re on there forever and other times it goes quick,’’ Clark said. ‘‘It doesn’t sound like long but once you get on the back of a bull you realise how long eight seconds is.’’

‘‘Anything can happen including death.’’

Clark has spent the best part of a decade cheating death on the US circuit which culminated in him cracking the $1 million mark in August.

For Clark, the milestone is more about emulating his idol two-time world champion and Australian Bull riding legend Troy Dunn, than dollar signs.

‘‘There’s only ever been one other bull rider in Australia who’s crossed that milestone and that’s Troy Dunn,’’ Clark said. 

‘‘He’s the man, so to be spoken about in the same sentence as him is a big thing for me.’’

It’s a milestone the boy from Morpeth never dreamed of achieving when he first bit the bullet and took to the United States Pro Bull Riding Tour in 2003.

‘‘In the beginning when I first went to the States I didn’t even know if I was going to be good enough to ride over there,’’ he said.

‘‘When I was growing up that was all I wanted to do but in my wildest dreams it never even crossed my mind that I could be in the United States not only riding, but riding with people I grew up watching.

‘‘It’s still surreal to be friends with the guys who I thought were the greatest ever.’’

As a million-dollar man, Clark is a famous name in bull riding circles in the US but admits he and the other cowboys often play second fiddle to the behemoths they ply their trade on.

‘‘The bulls are just as famous, if not more than the riders,’’ Clark said.

‘‘‘Half the score is for the bull so without them we can’t have big scores.’’

Clark vividly remembers the more famous beasts he got to ride in his decorated career.

‘‘I won my first event on a bull called Blueberry Wine which was a very famous bull. 

‘‘He only got ridden nine times in his whole career over seven or eight years so it was great to ride him.

‘‘I had another great ride on a bull named Little Yellow Jacket who was two-time bucking bull of the year. 

‘‘At the time he was the best bull going but that day I felt it was the easiest I’ve ever ridden a bull before.’’

The vocation does have it’s obvious pitfalls but Clark considers himself ‘‘pretty lucky’’ despite a horror fall in 2009.

‘‘I got jumped on by a bull with its two back feet and that lacerated my liver, bruised my lungs and broke my ribs. 

‘‘I was in intensive care for five days - people thought I’d never ride again.

‘‘Other than that I’ve been pretty lucky.’’

Clark considered bowing out on the big stage in Las Vegas in August but decided on a swansong at home including tonight’s event in Wollongong. 

‘‘I always wanted to go out when I wanted to, not when it made me,’’ he said.

‘‘I thought about finishing up over there but I decided I’d rather do it here in Australia where it all began.’’