ProRodeo Sports News - Feb. 18, 2022

PRORODEO COWBOYS

Overcoming Adversity Hailey Rae photo Saddle bronc rider Nathan Urie competes during the NILE Pro Rodeo last October in Billings, Mont. Despite being born without a left arm, that never stopped Urie from realizing his dream of competing in ProRodeo. One-arm saddle bronc rider Urie inspires by competing in PRCA rodeos

BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to the ProRodeo Sports News T he gate flies open, and the bronc launches from inside, his cowboy competitor clinging to the saddle, matching his jumps with the motion of his spurs. The fans erupt when they realize this is no ordinary saddle bronc ride. The first thing most people notice is that this cowboy is missing his left arm from above the elbow. But what they will remember about Nathan Urie is his grit and determination. “I’d rather be known as good bronc rider and a tough competitor rather than a bronc rider with one arm,” Urie said.

Urie, 24, did not grow up in a rodeoing family but was drawn to the lifestyle early on. “Like any other kid, I wanted to be a cowboy,” Urie said. “I started hanging out with cowboys. One family, the Christiansens, had a kid my age. I spent half my time at their house and half at mine.” The Christiansens helped Urie learn to ride and rope, even selling him his first horse at age 11. When Urie and McKoy Christiansen hit high school rodeo, they decided they wanted to ride broncs. “There was nothing too crazy about the learning process other than I had a different technique to saddle,” Urie said, who considered bareback and bull riding . . . briefly. “I stuck my hand in a bareback rigging one time and decided that was

ProRodeo Sports News 2/18/2022

ProRodeo.com

40