Steer wrestler qualifies for NFR despite June injury

Back on June 8, at the PRCA rodeo in Sisters, Oregon, Tyler Waguespack suffered a detached left bicep tendon. Typical recovery time: four to five months.

In other words: Season over.

But that’s in regular time. Not Cowboy Standard Time.

“The doctor said, ‘We’re gonna get you back as quick as possible.’ He did a super job, and I probably pushed it a bit,” Waguespack said. “I got the surgery June 10 and was back working my first steer on July 31.”

That speaks well not only to the work of Dr. Steven Huish, at Mountain Orthopaedics in Salt Lake City, but to Waguespack’s work ethic.

The five-time PRCA steer wrestling world champion had an inauspicious return at that rodeo in Preston, Idaho. But it didn’t take long to recapture the magic.

“At Preston, the steer cut my horse off, so I had to let it go, a no-time. But then I went 3.4 seconds in Idaho Falls, and I won the rodeo,” Waguespack said.

And the chase was on for another berth in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Losing almost two months, Waguespack was way behind the 8-ball to climb back into the top 15 steer wrestlers, as he looked to qualify for a 10th straight NFR.

“June and July are such big months for rodeo. You’ve got Cowboy Christmas around the Fourth of July, and the Calgary Stampede. All these major, major rodeos that I had to miss out on,” Waguespack said. “But in the Central Northwest, I had a lot of success later in the season.”

Slowly but surely, Waguespack climbed in the standings. Still, he needed a big-paying rodeo late in the season. Thankfully, the North Dakota Roughrider Cup is just such a rodeo, in late September, ostensibly a week before the regular season ends.

“It’s awesome to have a big-money rodeo at the end of the year, to have that Hail Mary that’s set up for guys just like me,” Waguespack.

But then you have to complete the Hail Mary. Which Waguespack did. He turfed his steer in 3.4 seconds to win the rodeo and $14,572.

“Huge, huge money. That jumped me up to 13th or 14th , and I just had to hold on,” Waguespack said. “I knew what my time had to be. That setup for that kind of Hail Mary was perfect for me and my horse.

“If I’d have taken second in the Roughrider, as much as that payout was ($12,671), it wouldn’t have been enough.”

On the eve of the Wrangler NFR, Waguespack still couldn’t stop praising the Roughrider Cup.

“It’s outstanding for guys who are on the bubble. It’s definitely a game-changer. It saved my year,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of determination. I tell people I love to be backed into a corner. I guess this was another test the good Lord put on me, to see if I could pass.”

Waguespack indeed passed, then got a couple months to rest his arm before heading to Vegas for the NFR at the Thomas &Mack Center. He said his bicep tendon is a bit sore, but with the brace he’s using, it’s no problem to compete.

“It doesn’t prevent me from doing anything,” he said. “Considering the circumstances, I’m 110 percent. With what it could’ve been and what it actually is, I’m feeling great.”

And it’s a great time to be feeling great. Waguespack entered the Wrangler NFR at No. 14 in the world standings, with $102,656 in season earnings. Yes, that’s more than $100,000 behind leader Dalton Massey ($209,263), with a heap of great bulldoggers between Waguespack and Massey.

But there’s a lot of money on the line this week. With go-round wins paying more than $33,000, and a boatload of NFR average money at stake when the 10-day run ends, you’re never really out of it. Even in 14th place. And perhaps especially if you’re the three-time defending world champ, as Waguespack is.

“In that building, a gold buckle is never out of reach,” Waguespack said. “I have a ton of confidence in my horse. But it’s 14 others guys, too, and it’s anybody’s ballgame.”