Injured rider Tim O’Connell finds way to give back
Tim O’Connell took Tom Feller’s call and, later on, his advice.
Back in January, the three-time bareback riding world champion announced he was taking 2024 off to recover from a groin tear and surgery. O’Connell wanted to make sure he healed correctly and didn’t rush back into anything.
Feller’s call was nothing out of the ordinary. As director of event marketing for Justin Brands, the two men speak often. Justin Brands is one of O’Connell’s biggest sponsors, with a logo proudly displayed on his riding gear and shirts.
This time around, Feller wasn’t reaching out as a representative of the company. He was calling in his role as a board member with the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund (JCCF).
“I was like, ‘No, Tom. I’m good. My family’s good. I’ve had a blessed career. I don’t need to pull off that fund. That’s not for me.’ He goes, ‘I’ve counted six different times where you should have pulled off that fund and never did. Now, you’re out for an entire year. This is not me asking — this is me telling,’” O’Connell recalled.
“Like Tom said, ‘You’ve worked your entire life and career for everything you’ve got. Don’t let an injury take it all away because you’re too proud. This is a hand up, not a hand down.’ They were fantastic and they’ve really taken care of me and my family, paying our bills, and just told me to focus on getting healthy and coming back.”
Since its founding in 1990, the JCCF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has provided supplemental financial support to rodeo athletes when they are injured and unable to compete.
With no guaranteed salary and many cowboys and cowgirls working other jobs that are physically demanding, the JCCF offers resources that allow rodeo athletes to focus on a complete recovery and return to competition. The organization has provided nearly $9.5 million in aid since it was established.
“These guys work too hard to have what they have, and (then) sit out all year and live off of nothing except their savings,” Feller said. “It’s not right, whether it’s a longtime pro or it’s a guy that is still on his permit and he’s got to sit out three months with a broken clavicle. Chances are, he doesn’t have any savings. That’s really what it’s all about. That was the intent of the program, and we do our best to make sure we’re good stewards of that.”
The rodeo community has been instrumental in supporting the JCCF. Across the country, various fundraising efforts take place at events every year. The JCCF receives donations from tips collected at rodeo watering holes, or pancake breakfasts, T-shirt sales and everything in between. Every dollar goes directly into the fund and out to the competitors. All overhead costs to operate the program are covered by Justin Brands and the PRCA.
For O’Connell, the organization has been an unexpected blessing during his recovery — one that inspired him to give back.
Scattered throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center during The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas are 20 Western-themed benches, handcrafted by Ranch and Co. Interiors. Shoppers are welcome to use these spots for a brief break while meandering through the aisles.
But these seats will eventually provide so much more.
Ranch and Co. Interiors is a collaboration between O’Connell, his wife, Sami, and their friends Phillip and Kelly Eggers. Specializing in handmade, Western-style home furnishings, the company has grown significantly and quickly since O’Connell made the first piece of furniture at home in 2020. The company was essentially created as a byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When O’Connell was asked if his company wanted to make furniture for the convention center during Cowboy Christmas, he jumped at the idea. Then, the benches became a way to raise money for the JCCF.
Over the past few months, O’Connell reached out to fellow rodeo competitors, asking for their help. Each of the benches is adorned with patches sewn into the material. Those patches are signed by current or former rodeo stars, including Stetson Wright, Emily Beisel, Keenan Hayes, Kaycee Feild and more. There are benches that feature traveling partners, as well as individuals and event-themed groups. They are all unique, one-of-a-kind pieces — and some are hard to miss.
“I’m pretty sure Hailey Kinsel has got a hot pink bench with some fringe on it,” O’Connell said with a laugh. “You try to match it as best as you can, but I tell you — this is really my wife’s forte and Kelly Eggers. Me and Phillip, we’re kind of the brawn. We throw in some ideas, but the women really handle this, to be honest.”
All of these benches will be sold to raise money for the JCCF during the Wrangler NFR, with many going on the auction block as part of the Pro Rodeo League of Women’s Style Show and Luncheon. Now in its 37th year, the gala is one of the biggest fundraising events supporting the JCCF.
O’Connell is grateful for Feller’s call. He’s thankful for the friendly, albeit somewhat forceful, nudge to use the resources the JCCF was offering. Without it, the last 11 months would have been vastly different.
He’s also thankful that when he called others, they answered. It’s a signature, on a patch, on a bench. It’s a seat for a weary walker in need of respite. But it will ultimately mean so much more, and that’s something for which O’Connell has a newfound appreciation.
“Everybody truly respects and loves the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund and how it’s helped rodeo athletes get back on their feet. Not one person thought twice about it,” O’Connell said. “I got a hand up in a situation that I wanted to be stubborn in, and thankfully, through some blessings, I’m able to have an opportunity to give right back.”