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When you sustain an injury like my broken femur last May, you get all the time in the world to think about, plan and prepare for your comeback to the rodeo arena. At first you are excited to be able to walk, then run and mimic the motions of your event. Eventually, every sit up, squat and turn of the cycle gears seem like the taunting tick of a grandfather clock, and all you want is to tug your leather clad hand into the riggin’ and say, “Outside!”

I’ve replayed my most picturesque rides in my mind, listened to psycho cybernetics on tape for what seems like a thousand times, done as much working out/ rehabbing my body feels like it can handle, and lived and breathed on Dr. Tandy’s opinion of when I’d be able to ride.

After I’d got it out of my head I would make my comeback within a few months and realized the seriousness of a femur break, I set my sights on January 1st. It was the center of the dart board in my mind from my first appointment with Tandy right after my injury. No matter his tone or skepticism over time frame I held the image in my mind and pictured a comeback encompassing all the winter rodeos… and after my final x-ray Dr. Tandy confirmed that my leg looked good to go for January 1st.

I’ve worked out, read, and visualized all I can handle, and all I want to do is nod my head on my first horse back 552 Roger Rabbit at the Sand Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Odessa, TX, January 9th. From Odessa I’ll be off to Rio Rancho, New Mexico, then Denver, CO, Rapid City, SD, Fort Worth, TX and so on. As is often the case I find not so subtle fears of reinjury, losing a step or just drawing bad surface in my mind, but the fears are a fading shadow compared to the fire that’s been growing for nearly 8 months.