Coming back to a competitive sport after several months on the injured list is no easy task. But Ponoka cowboy Jake Vold is making it look easy.
The talented bareback rider was making a jet rocket ride up the world standings at the winter rodeos, when disaster struck in late April. Vold suffered a badly broken ankle while competing in California, and after surgery, was out of commission.
That was three long months ago and Vold is back in action and looking like he never missed a step.
“The weekend definitely went pretty good,” commented the 24-year-old, after competing at Strathmore’s pro rodeo during the weekend.
“I drew some pretty good horses. I can’t complain about my drawing one bit. I just tried to do my part, and it turned out pretty good.”
That’s a cowboy understatement for you! Vold won the very first rodeo he came back at, and hasn’t slowed down since. In the last two weeks, he’s won more than $8,000, and has hopes of making the season-end playoffs again.
What was the secret to his post-injury preparations?
“Just mindset. I rode the bucking machine a little bit. I rode my saddle horse at home a little bit. Just trying to keep a positive attitude. I had nothing to lose, so might as well just go at it,” he grinned.
Vold admits there were a few butterflies when he ran his hand into his bareback rigging for the first time at Maple Creek.
“I felt a little hesitant all that weekend, not quite what I wanted to be. But it worked out. I went three-for-three, so I went home and just kind of sharpened up on a couple of things.”
Vold came out the next weekend and cashed in for fourth at Strathmore, second at Abbotsford, and tied for second at Medicine Hat.
“I had lots of ground to make up, and I was wanting to do something when I came back.”
To be eligible for the Canadian Finals Rodeo, competitors have to attend at least 15 Canadian rodeos. Vold only had one, his Camrose victory, to his credit before getting hurt. So he has some miles to make if he wants to get back to Edmonton this November, or even the National Finals in December
“I’ve got to get my count in up here, so I think I’ve got to go to eight more rodeos, and CFR is definitely the number one thing right now. I think I have a better shot at that. But Vegas I’m going to try for. I’ve got seven or eight rodeos down there picked out I’m gonna go to. I’ve got the Puyallup Tour Finals made, so I’m going to give her ‘all there.”
But while Vold’s success rate has been impressive, the ankle isn’t fully healed.
“It’s sore,” he admits. “It’s sore every time, but it’s getting better and better every weekend, which is good. I’ve got kind of like a half-cast deal I put on both sides of it, and a tape job. I put on as much as I can but as little as I can, just to keep it so I can still move it and stuff.”
As soon as the operation on the ankle was over, Vold was asking his surgeon when he could get back to work, and his three month recovery period was aggressive, but approved by the doctors. Being able to compete at Strathmore was his goal, and he beat that by a bit.
The horse he drew at Strathmore was called Buckwheat, a mount he knew well.
“That’s the fourth time I’ve had him, and I knew lots about him. I just kind of got a game plan together, and it worked out all right.”
Vold’s mark of 83.5 earned him $3,200 towards his Canadian standings climb, now inside the top 10 range.
Another bareback rider who greatly enhanced his bank account at Strathmore was Canadian champion Dusty LaValley, who rode the horse Centennial to 85.5 and a first place payday of $5,900.
“I’ve had that horse three times, I think. One time was here three or four years ago,” remembered LaValley. “He just went out and flat spun. So that was in the back of my mind, but he was awesome today.
“I was counting on today being good to help my weekend out.”
LaValley is getting married next week, and had planned on taking it a little easier on his rodeo travels this summer. But Sunday’s ride in Strathmore has him rethinking that strategy.
“I wish I was entered up down in the States. I haven’t been entering because I thought I’d take the rest of the season a little bit easier, but now with this, I wish I was entered up.”
Vold has been trying to convince LaValley to join him as he ventures south of the line, and the two are likely to go see if their fortunes can be boosted enough to make the NFR.
The weekend was a big one for some other central Alberta cowboys.
The most successful was young steer wrestler Rowdy Hays of Rocky Mountain House. He finished first in Strathmore in 3.4 seconds, to pick up $7,144, and then took first in Medicine Hat for another $3,358. That’s likely enough to jet him to a CFR position.
Matt Fawcett of Stettler and Brett Buss of Ponoka claimed the team roping honours at Strathmore in 5.5 seconds, earning $2,813 apiece. Winfield’s Jesse Torkelson was the bull riding champion, collecting $6,542 for an 87 point ride. Ponoka saddle bronc rider Luke Butterfield split second at Strathmore with an 82.25 on Yellow Hair, for $4,565, but he was also second at Abbotsford for another $1,300 and placed at Medicine Hat as well.
Penhold’s Todd Herzog finished second in the saddle bronc in Medicine Hat, earning $2,420. Stettler’s Devon Mezei shared the bull riding honors at Abbotsford with Torkelson, while Donalda’s Cody Cassidy split the steer wrestling there. Innisfail’s Cole Jamieson won novice bareback riding at Strathmore.
This weekend Elnora plays host to some of the best in the bull business with its annual Brahma-Rama. Organizers are pleased to have snagged one of the most famous voices in the rodeo business to be the announcer. The eight-time PRCA announcer of the year, Bob Tallman, will be calling the action at the Elnora Agri-Centre. But it’s not his first time to the community.
“I’ve been there many times,” claimed Tallman, who makes his home in Texas, when he’s not on the rodeo trail. “I’ve been a long-time friend of Kelly and Lorne High and their kids. I’ve been in the cow and bucking bull business with Lorne for the last 20 years and the timing worked out for me to get there and spend two or three days.”
The two day format features futurity bulls today, followed by a PBR Canada bull riding on Saturday.
“People who come to Elnora will get to see the hottest thing that’s happening in the bull riding industry today. Come on out and have some fun,” grinned Tallman.
The performances both nights start at 7:30 p.m.
One other piece of rodeo news was announced at Strathmore. The legendary Franklin Rodeo horse Airwolf died of natural causes at home at the Bonnyville ranch where he was raised, at the ripe old age of 30. Glen O’Neill still holds a world record 95-point ride on the horse at the Daines Ranch near Innisfail in 1996.
Dianne Finstad is a regular contributor of the Red Deer Advocate and is the agriculture/rodeo director for Newcap Radio/CKGY/CIZZ FM in Red Deer.