PRORODEO Sports News - July 2, 2026

Henderson, at age 23, stands in front of the chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Jeff Belden photo

and shoulders). With his medical training complete, Henderson returned to the Air Force to fly the F-22, the newest jet at the time. Lieutenant Colonel Henderson retired after 31 years in the Air Force in 2021. He credits his cow boy upbringing for preparing him for a career in the military. “My dad had to turn out many calves for me to be skilled at becoming a competitive rodeo cowboy, but in the end, once I nod my head, it’s just me on my horse, and I have to be able to execute

effectively – all alone – in order to win,” Henderson explained. “That same skillset of having to deliv er when the chips are down was helpful as a fighter pilot and later on as a surgeon in the operating room.” Today, Henderson spends his time giving back to the two communities that have always supported him as an orthopedic surgeon at the Colorado Center of Orthopedic Excellence in Colorado Springs. He estimates that about half of his patients are in the

Dr. Henderson now works as an orthopedic surgeon at the Colorado Center of Orthopedic Excellence in Colorado Springs. Courtesy photo

20 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE July 2, 2026