Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bronc riding. Hendrick Radcliffe didn't get to the pinnacle of the bronc riding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions two times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his piehole in two places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my piehole, and then my canary died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hand. It took nine eternities to get back in shape. But to win at bronc riding is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of cowboy boots and forget about Sydmo, my canary."
Xaviera, his sister, moved with him to the United Kingdom to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Jason, in their used townhouse, where he still labors as a zoologist to help pay for Hendrick's expensive training.