Canadian Austin Broderson Injury Outlook After NWSS Wreck

Suffering a horrific wreck during the ninth performance of the National Western Stock Show rodeo, bareback rider Austin Broderson will need some time to rest but is expected to make a full recovery.

Southern Alberta, Canada, bareback riding cowboy Austin Broderson bought his permit to compete in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2024. After competing in Canada in the Novice division and even going to the Canadian Finals Rodeo Novice Bareback, Broderson decided to expand his goals.

Denver, Colo., was within driving distance of his United States home base of Casper, Wyo. where the young 19-year-old cowboy attends the University of Wyoming at Casper. Broderson was scheduled to compete in the fifth bracket, where the first round of competition was on Monday, Jan. 15.

Aboard Jack Dupp from the Cervi Bros. string, Broderson was the last contestant to crack the gates on Monday afternoon. It appeared that he had made a qualified ride when the buzzer sounded. Just about the same time, it was apparent that the bareback riggin was slipping. Ultimately, Broderson ended up under the horse, still attached to the riggin, with the horse continuing to buck and run around the arena.  

The silence was deafening, and all hats were removed while the emergency medical staff promptly attended to his injuries. After spending the night in the hospital in intensive care, it was reported by a family friend that, indeed, the cowboy is a walking miracle. They put a stint in his shoulder due to a blood clot, he has a minor fracture on a vertebrae that should heal well without surgery, and bruising on his spinal cord. The only actual broken bone is his nose.

Broderson is expected to make a full recovery with rest. No doubt, he will be glad to see his parents, who drove all night to be by their son's side.