ProRodeo Sports News - Feb. 7, 2020

CATCHING UP WITH ... J.R. VEZAIN

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Ric Andersen

Surprise!

Unexpected check aids Vezain medical recovery Bareback rider J.R. Vezain prepares to get introduced with his back number before the 2018 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

BY TRACY RENCK V eteran bareback rider J.R. Vezain continues to progress after suffering a broken back while competing at the Pasadena (Texas) Livestock Show & Rodeo when he was riding Frontier Rodeo Company’s Brazos Bash, Sept. 22, 2018. The injury required surgery and has left him with mobility issues from the waist down. In January, Vezain found out he would receive a $3,700 check from Wyoming’s Unclaimed Property Division of the State Treasurer’s Office. “It was good news,” said Vezain, 27. “It (the check) was frommy Wyoming sponsorship at the end of 2018. That’s when the wreck and stuff went on. I don’t know if the check got sent home and we never got it or what the deal was. My mom (Shilo) got a letter for me a month ago and told me I should check it out. It was fromUnclaimed Property for $3,700. I didn’t know if it was a scam or what. It ended up being legit. It ended up being an old sponsorship check. It was a huge blessing and will help with some continued rehab for sure.”

Vezain, a six-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (2012-14 and 2016-18), rehabbed in Houston for a month and then another six months in Sandy, Utah. He returned home to Melstone, Mont., April 5, 2019. Vezain’s wife, Shelby, gave birth to their first child, a boy, Ryatt, May 17. “I went down in the first part of September back to Utah and got re-tested, and I jumped a level on every test,” Vezain said. “We’re still progressing. I’m not where I want to be yet. I have a long way to go. Right now, I can walk on a walking machine, but they still have to move my legs. I still can’t bear my own weight all the way yet. “I’m gearing up to go down to Panama City, Panama, for some stem cell treatment in the next couple of weeks. I also got involved in a trial situation down in Houston to try an exoskeleton for three weeks two different times, and I’m going to do that in the first part of March.” Vezain said his plight has given him a new perspective. “We have had a ton of growth spiritually, mentally and emotionally,” Vezain said. “It has been a huge learning curve not only the obvious life in a wheelchair, but even just patience. I have grown spiritually how to have

ProRodeo Sports News 2/7/2020

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