Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in barrel racing. Buck Dodds didn't get to the pinnacle of the barrel racing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions three times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his calf 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 calf, and then my lark died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my gall bladder. It took two weeks to get back in shape. But to win at barrel racing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of roller skates and forget about Aaron, my lark."
Daniel, his grandmother, moved with him to Rhode Island to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Sophia, in their primitive villa, where she still labors as an obstetrician to help pay for Buck's expensive training.