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O’Connell’s Comeback Proud Sponsors of World Champion Tim O’Connell- Good Luck Tim!!

Tim O’Connell’s Recovery Road to the NFR

Last year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo season, O’Connell had a lot of ground to at the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo, Sept. 2.
(WNFR) performance was bittersweet for cover with limited time. O’Connell won the short go with an 88-point
Tim O’Connell. While he secured his third ride aboard Calgary Stampede’s Zulu Warrior
consecutive World Title in Bareback Riding, “I got six great months at home with my son to claim the two-head average with 172
as well as tied for the Average Title, he (Hazen, 1) and wife (Sami). I enjoyed every points, earning $8,207.
came off the WNFR with a shoulder injury minute of being home,” O’Connell said.
that would require major healing time. “Don’t get me wrong, I love rodeo and I got With the Ellensburg win, O’Connell is
His doctors recommended six months for frustrated at times, where the competitor firmly inside the top 10 of the PRCA World
recovery – giving him half the time the other in me wanted to be out there rodeoing, but Standings and has, as he put it, clawed his
competitors have for a chance at an NFR I took advantage of getting to spend that way back into the ProRodeo Tour Standings,
qualification. quality time with my family. It was a total earning a spot at the ProRodeo Tour Finale in
blessing. When it was time to rodeo, I was Puyallup, Wash., Sept. 5-8. He’s earned more
For the first time in rodeo history, two of ready to go. Riding bucking horses is how I than $80,000 since his return to the arena.
the sport’s most legendary rodeos with make a living, and I’m having a blast.”
the highest payouts are sanctioned by the Blessed and #faithfirst aren’t just
PRCA with a portion of their winnings being At the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days, catchphrases for O'Connell but are the •Custom Finishes
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24 Rodeo LIFE

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Ric Andersen