Crooked Guy Blog

Archive for the ‘2010’ Category

I am always excited to get the PBR Fan Club Event emails letting me know the PBR Touring Pro Division will be coming to Mesquite’s Resistol Arena because it is a nice rodeo venue and is air conditioned. When I got the email I went to TicketMaster to order our tickets for me, Amanda, Lori and my best friend Graham. I got an email back from the special services division that you have to email for handicapped seating tickets but they said there was not any seats with the PBR Fan Club Discount.

I told them that this did not seem right so I called out to the Mesquite Championship Rodeo Box Office and talked to Marshall who is director of ticketing. He told me that something must have been entered wrong on their end when inputting info to TicketMaster. For our inconvenience and more importantly so I wouldn’t post that they discriminated the crooked people of the world. Marshall told me he could get us some of the best seats in the joint for same price as I was going to pay for my tickets in the middle of the arena. I hope someday soon they will actually put in some handicapped seating that is maybe next to the fence so its easier for the people behind us to see over people in wheelchairs since there is no real handicapped areas like other stadiums and arenas. Even the 4C’s had a handicapped area that was pretty good for the PBR event in Stephenville.

We picked up our tickets at Will Call and went inside the nice and cool arena to see what was happening before the PBR event. Usually we get to these things right before they start so we don’t have much time to mingle and see if we can meet any of the cowboys. Last time we were here they didn’t  mind my sister going back behind the chutes and locker room to get the bull riders to come take a picture and autograph my PBR hat.

Me and PBR Bull Rider Dylan Vick-Hice

Since the security guy had seen us last time he let us go back behind the chutes and the holding pens where its paved and scooter friendly. One of the first guys we met was Dylan Vick-Hice, a tall lanky cowboy from California. He was done doing his stretches and putting his long legs up on the top rail of the pen like a ballerina. Dylan was very friendly and had no problem signing my hat and taking a few pictures with me. Later in the evening during Dylan’s ride he got hung up on his bull rope and gets stomped and broke his leg and received a concussion. The gate man said he was spending the night at Baylor for observation.

PBR Bull Rider Elliot Jacoby and Me

There were a bunch of cowboys standing around and getting their chaps and spurs on and finish taping their hands and elbows up since it was less than 30 minutes before it started. Two of the guys I really wanted to meet was Elliot Jacoby and Pete Farley. Ryan Dirteater and Clayton Baetghe were supposed to be here but Clayton was riding on the Built Ford Tough Premier Series that weekend. Elliot was a super nice kid and he signed my hat and took several pictures with me. Next time I am giving him one of my green FOP bracelets.

PBR Bull Rider Pete Farley and Me

When we met Pete Farley who is from Australia I was able to give him a FOP bracelet. Pete put it on his riding vest for everyone to see. I thought that was really cool and hope we can get more riders to wear one and have them in pictures. The Aussie didn’t ride too well this time but him and his brother Jared have been having some issues staying on the bulls, it looks like his chin pops up and he is looking for a place to land before the ride is over.

Stormy Wing on his Short-Go Bull

One of the guys I wish we could have gotten was Stormy Wing who is a young cowboy from Dalhart who can ride very good. Stormy did end up winning the event with some very good rides that Amanda was able to take pictures of him. Zach Brown was there and got fouled out of the chute and got a re-ride which he was able to stay on this time. He hasn’t been doing as good as he was last year but he’s looking good.

Elliot Jacoby on his Bull

Elliot Jacoby was able to ride his long round bull and make it to the Short-Go where he was thrown. I had watched Elliot win a CBR event in Hobbs, NM that week on GAC so when I talked to him I told him congrats. He almost won the event this past week as well.

We had a really good time and got to hang out with Graham and him heckling the crowd

Me and my Best Friend Graham Wood

behind us who didn’t like me standing up in front of them. But until there are actual places for wheelchairs I am not gonna worry about it. Next time I want to try the BBQ buffet they have available before the rodeos and bull ridings. Till next time

Hey Ya’ll this is my new project I have been working on for the last couple weeks. I had lots of people tell me I need to write a blog about all my experiences I have even thought I have a debilitating Muscular Disease, FOP. Fybrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva is one of the rarest diseases in the world and I am one of 3 patients in the state of Texas with it.

Me and my wife, Lori, have been able to still go to a lot of music concerts, sporting events, hunting and even bowling despite me not be able to move anything but my elbows, wrists, hands and slight movement in my feet.

Stay tuned for updates daily hopefully so tell your friends and join and comment on my blog!