ProRodeo Sports News - Nov. 22, 2019

WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO

Bumpy Roads

Cowboys overcome injuries to make Wrangler NFR

BY MATT NABER

Q ualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is a challenge for any ProRodeo athlete, but some faced steeper challenges than others on the 2019 rodeo road. Bareback riders TimO’Connell and Kaycee Feild, and steer wrestler Dakota Eldridge were among this year’s cowboys who missed portions of the 2019 regular season due to injury but still managed to qualify for the Wrangler NFR.

Bareback rider Tim O’Connell suffered a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum while making the final push toward the world title during Round 10 of the 2018 Wrangler NFR. The three-time reigning world champion was out of competition until June but still managed to climb the world standings to return to the Wrangler NFR. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Billie-Jean Duff

OVERCOOMING INJURIES During Round 10 of the 2018Wrangler NFR, he posted an 87-point ride on J Bar J’s All Pink to win the world, but he also suffered a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum. O’Connell was out of competition for six months. By the time he returned to the chutes in June, he had a $35,000 hill to climb just to reach 15th in the world standings. “I had to change how I rodeoed from years past, and thank God it worked out,” O’Connell said. Not only did the change work, it had an added benefit, too. “I think this year I had more fun than I had in the last five,” O’Connell said. “I love being the No. 1 guy in the world, and I have goals to win my fourth world title, but my mindset for three years was to be No. 1 and the most dominant bareback rider week in and week out. … I love the man- versus-beast mentality of it, and I was so caught up in winning world titles that I almost fell out of love with rodeo. I didn’t have a choice but to step away because of the shoulder injury. It made me sit and meditate on why I do this, and it’s because I love riding bucking horses and I love everything about rodeo.” TIM O’CONNELL Winning his third consecutive bareback riding world title came at a price for O’Connell.

ProRodeo Sports News 11/22/2019

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