A 19-year-old cowboy from southern Alberta was seriously injured last week in a horrific spill off his horse at a rodeo in Denver, Colo.
It’s a gutsy sport that would terrify most people: riding a bucking horse bareback, hanging on with only rigging, strength and skill. But it’s in Austin Broderson’s blood.
“He’s levelheaded and a smart kid. He would give you the shirt off his back. If you talk to him, you wouldn’t guess he was a bronco rider. He seems too mild mannered,” said Braden Van Nistelrooy, Austin’s uncle in Lethbridge.
“He’s definitely been banged up and beat up a lot, so you always worry but he’s always had good luck.”
Austin grew up in Turin, Alta., around 2 hours south of Calgary and half an hour north of Lethbridge.
The 19-year-old had been going to school at Casper College in Wyoming on a rodeo scholarship and was competing at the National Western Stock Show in Denver on Jan. 15.
Austin’s rigging started to slip at the end of his ride, and he became tangled up and couldn’t get loose.
He was whipped around like a rag doll and ended up under the horse’s legs and hooves as it continued to run and kick.
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“Everyone is saying it’s amazing that he’s not paralyzed or worse,” Van Nistelrooy said.
His parents, who were back in Alberta, were watching on TV.
“I have not seen anything like that myself. We’ve seen plenty of wrecks. I’ve been in a few myself, but nothing to the extent of the seriousness and the injuries he’s got,” said Austin’s dad Steve Broderson, who has been in Denver for the past week with his wife.
They drove to Denver as soon as they saw their son get injured on TV.
“That’s why when I first started to see it happen on TV I didn’t expect good news. When we got down there, I expecting the very worst. I didn’t expect him to survive,” Steve said.
Austin was rushed to a Denver hospital and is now stable condition with a long list of injuries and fractures. He still has no feeling and mobility is this left arm.
“He’s in rough shape. He’s beat up but he’s in good spirits. He’s able to joke a bit and he’s so tough,” Van Nistelrooy said. “He won’t let onto how much pain he’s actually in.
“He seemed like his same old self when I talked to him.”
A fundraiser has been started to support Austin with medical bills.
The family is grateful for the generosity of people from across Canada and the U.S. who have been supporting them.
“We are overwhelmed and thankful the support the whole world has come together when you have a big deal like this happen,” Steve said.
Steve said his son is trying to be as positive as possible. Steve said the nerve damage in Austin’s arm is not expected to heal fast.
“We might be looking at six months before he might get some feeling, maybe up to two years. It will take a lengthy rehab process but he is willing to work hard at it,” Steve said on Monday.
He said he’s not sure how long the Austin will be staying in the hospital in Denver before returning home to Alberta.
Austin had competed in the novice division at the Calgary Stampede for the past two years, but the ride in Denver was his first pro-rodeo event.
Austin comes from a multi-generational rodeo family in southern Alberta.
His uncle Marty Broderson won the bull riding event at the Calgary Stampede in 2000 and his grandfather Bruce was also a bull rider.
According to the Pro Rodeo Association of Canada, bareback riders endure more abuse, suffer more injuries and have more long-term damage than other rodeo cowboys.
The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association is also supporting the family.
“Rodeo is all about family and to be a part of this sport is to be part of the rodeo family,” said CPRA general manager Denny Phipps. “And we are there for each other when adversity happens.
“Whether it be injuries, vehicle breakdowns or illness, the rodeo community is great at stepping up in big and small ways to help our sport’s friends and neighbors in their hardest times.
“Austin is a talented young athlete who suffered serious injuries while in competition in Denver, but we are so happy to see him improving. We are staying in contact with people close to Austin and are praying for a speedy and full recovery.”
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