Back from the Brink, Defending Steer Wrestling Champ Makes Unlikely Return to NFR

Tyler Waguespack’s season looked like it might be over in June due to injury but the five-time World Champion pushed to a late rally, securing one of the last spots in Las Vegas.

After a serious injury in June, defending steer wrestling World Champion Tyler Waguespack has made an improbable recovery and late season surge to return to NFR. / Hailey Rae/For PRCA

Tyler Waguespack is truly grateful. Grateful for the quick work by the medical team in Salt Lake City to get him scheduled for surgery. Grateful for the doctors who did an outstanding job addressing the detached bicep tendon in his left arm. Without their efforts, he wouldn’t be where he is today. 

Of course, if he had listened to all their guidance, he wouldn’t be preparing for his 10th straight appearance at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo either.

“Right before I went under for surgery, (the doctor) said, ‘I hate to tell you but your 2024 year is going to be over and you’re going to need to get this healed up. By November or December you can start back steer wrestling.’ I can remember looking at my wife right next to me and I kind of rolled my eyes and was like, ‘Yeah, that’s not going to happen,’” Waguespack said with a laugh. “As soon as I got out of surgery, it was within maybe six or eight days I was doing pushups already with the brace and stuff on just trying anything I could to get it moving.”

When he sustained the injury at the Sisters (Ore.) Rodeo in early June, everyone feared the worst. Friends and family began sending well wishes, describing all the time he was going to have during his recovery to relax, hunt and decompress from the hectic rodeo lifestyle for a change. 

All the while, Waguespack was focused on one thing – returning to compete and defending his steer wrestling title for a fourth straight year. 

The doctor-prescribed physical therapy was cautious, tentatively taking baby steps on his recovery journey. Waguespack eventually reached out to Andrew Shea with Shea Competitive Edge in Texas to get more aggressive with the process. Within two months, the five-time World Champion was making practice runs.

The injury happened on June 8. On August 3, Waguespack finished second in the first go at the Dodge City (Kan.) Roundup. From there, the comeback was officially on. 

Waguespack returned with lofty but necessary goals. When he went in for surgery, the Gonzales, La., native was sitting 15th in the PRCA World Standings with around $32,700 in earnings. He needed to reach at least that place if he wanted to extend his NFR qualifying streak, let alone defend his championship. 

“I had 60 days whenever I first started back and I set a goal to win $60,000 in 60 days. I wound up winning $61,000 and making the Finals by just over $1,000 so it was just the right amount,” Waguespack said. “I talked to my dad and my wife about it. If at any moment I didn’t have a shot, I was going to come back home and heal everything up the right way and make sure we were 100 percent for next year. But man, from the day that started all the way to September 30, it was like I just rode the bubble the whole time so I had to keep grinding through and keep on keeping on to hopefully get it done.”

After picking up big money in places like Pendleton (Ore.) and Ellensburg (Wash.), to keep the dream alive, the final big push came in Mandan, N.D. Waguesback won the North Dakota Roughrider Cup in late September and secured nearly $15,000 in earnings. Some prizes over the final weekend of the regular season, most notably a runner-up showing worth more than $2,200, sealed the finish.

The result – $92,823 in total winnings, good enough for the 14th qualifying spot. He edged Scott Guenthner out by a little more than $1,300 to stay off the cutline. 

While he’s more than $100,00 behind standings leader Dalton Massey heading into NFR, all Waguespack wanted was “a chip and a chair,” an apt analogy given the surroundings of Sin City. 

He’s still battling through a little discomfort and numbness, both of which are normal as he continues to heal. But more importantly, he continues to compete. Despite all the odds – and a little ignored medical advice – the veteran bulldogger is right back where he wanted to be and focused on another gold buckle. 

“Unless (the doctor) watches the Cowboy Channel, I don’t even know if he knows I’m back going yet,” Waguespack joked. “I laughed about it the other day. According to the doctor I can start back steer wrestling today. I’m kind of glad I didn’t listen.”