Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bronc riding. Dagmar Orwell didn't get to the pinnacle of the bronc riding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions two times each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her collarbone in four places. But this didn't stop her. She seems even more determined to excel at her sport.
"I was really down when I broke my collarbone, and then my mule died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my brain. It took fourteen 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 beach towel and forget about Deirdre, my mule."
Kim, her mentor, moved with her to Bakersfield to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Louis, in their luxurious log cabin, where he still labors as a baker to help pay for Dagmar's expensive training.