Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bronc riding. Buck Delgado didn't get to the pinnacle of the bronc riding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions three times each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his kidney in three 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 kidney, and then my walrus died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my lung. It took two centuries 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 pajamas and forget about Siggy, my walrus."
Owen, his sister, moved with him to Vermont to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Marvella, in their polished Cape Cod, where she still labors as a judge to help pay for Buck's expensive training.