ProRodeo Sports News - May 1, 2020

pandemic, but the global hurdle hasn’t fazed Bloom. He’s keeping in shape, and earning money, by doing carpentry and glasswork. “I’ve been doing it a couple of years now and it’s great for bareback riding,” Bloom said. “It (the glass) is tough on the sides, but if you hit the edge right it can bust, so you have to be careful. It’s like hot yoga with heavy weights.” Bloom broke into the glass industry by accident. “Some kid busted our window at our house in town while I had taken some time off from rodeo for my concussions,” Bloom said. “I helped out the repairman, and he asked if I wanted a job. It was just God lining stuff up.” Bloom explained how it helps with his riding. “It’s good for your eyes, and walking with big mirrors makes your brain work in a different way,” he said. It’s not normal glass Bloom is working with. They are large sheets of glass and mirrors, about 16 feet wide, that are used for glass rooms. Back at home, he’s putting the finishing touches on an 8-foot-by-12-foot shed extension that’s sitting on skids so he can move it to the other side of his shed. Bloom also rebuilt the interior of his van. “He’s really handy with any carpentry or glasswork,” rookie bareback rider Cole Reiner said. “He did the inside (of his van) himself with custom woodwork and leatherwork.” ROCKY ROAD Bloom exploded onto the ProRodeo scene by winning the RAM Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo as a permit holder in 2016. He followed that by winning the 2017 Reno (Nev.) Rodeo and the Clark County Fair & Rodeo in Logandale, Nev., as a rookie. Despite suffering a broken wrist, dislocated kneecap, torn meniscus and other injuries, he still finished second in the 2017 PRCA | Resistol Rookie Standings for bareback riding. “The doctors told me I wouldn’t get full-strength back and was probably done bareback riding,” Bloom said about his 2017 injuries. Bloom grew up wrestling, rodeoing and helping his parents with their construction company, so he was confident he could regain his strength.

“What I wasn’t prepared for was the mental game,” Bloom said. “I’ve always expected myself to ride with the best, and at 23 I thought I was doing that. Then when I got hurt, I kept asking ‘why?’ I was mad and frustrated. One day my wife said, ‘You’re riding for the wrong reasons if you think this is the end of the world.’ “She was right. I was so focused on that moment and I couldn’t move on. I had to shift my mindset.” Rather than focusing on injuries, Bloom focused on what he could control. “I focused on my strength, enjoyed my time at home, co-instructed youth rodeo camps and did things that would make me a better bareback rider when I returned,” Bloom said. “It sounds like the classic ‘comeback story’ when I say I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, but what I gained the most is my grasp on the big picture. “I’m back to riding because it’s fun. The rodeo family is like none other, and the brotherhood among the bareback riders is strong and true. We all want to win and have that ‘send it’ attitude. I’m blessed to have this for a career, and considering all it has provided for me, I will never take it for granted. I just want to have fun and go for it.” Having fun is one thing his friends have learned from him. “He keeps it simple and fun, and if he’s not having fun, he changes it to where it is fun and never lets it get dull or boring,” Reiner said. “We play a lot of Hacky Sack on the side of the road and Frisbee.” “I never played Hacky Sack more in my life than when traveling with him,” Berry laughed. Once competitions resume, Bloom, 26, will hit the rodeo road with Reiner, 21. “Don’t let Cole’s age fool you, I like to learn from him,” Bloom laughed. “He’s wolfy.” “Some people might think for bareback riding he’s a little old, but for Wyatt I think you have seven or eight trips to the NFR ahead of him,” Berry said. “He rides with authority. I could see him being a tough guy to beat in Las Vegas. We will be playing Hacky Sack in the locker room and spurring bucking horses.” Bloom’s friends have complete confidence in him. “He’s a dragon slayer and spurs buckers,” Reiner said.

Josh Homer photo Bloom is making the most of his time at home with his wife and horses since ProRodeo competitions are on hold due to the pandemic.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/1/2020

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