Quick recovery leads to triumphant return for Durazo

By Laurence Heinen Times Contributor

No one would have blamed bull rider Edgar Durazo for calling it quits and wrapping up his season early. 

After all, he sustained five broken ribs and a bruised lung after being thrown off and stepped on by Outlaw Buckers bull Blackstone After Party during the opening night of competition at the Cody Snyder Bullbustin’ event at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino on Sept. 7.

“We know that anything can happen at any time, so you’re mentally prepared,” said the 2021 Strathmore Stampede bull-riding champion, who made a quick recovery and a triumphant return to competition at the Canadian Finals Rodeo at Red Deer’s Peavy Mart Centrium from Nov. 3-7. “To get hurt like that, how we looked at it was God protected me from something.

“It stopped me for eight weeks and I missed four rodeos. At those four rodeos, something worse could be happening. That’s where we just keep our faith.”

It was a scary incident for Durazo in early September as his wife Karla, with infant son Edgar Jr. by her side, watched nervously as her husband was loaded onto a stretcher and taken to hospital by ambulance.

“It’s just one step at a time and we keep our faith in anything that happens, even now,” said Durazo, who lives with his family in Speargrass, just 15 minutes south of Strathmore. “Day by day, we know that things happen for a reason and that God is protecting us every step of the way.”

Originally from Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico, Durazo has no regrets about his decision to live in the community surrounding Speargrass Golf Course.

“We love it here and all the people here,” said Durazo, who works at a feedlot just 15 minutes south of his home in Mossleigh, where he also trains horses. “My co-workers, my friends, all the rodeo family that we have, it’s just amazing. We couldn’t pick any better place to live and rodeo out of.”

Following his injuries, Durazo didn’t even think about packing it in for the season. Instead, he turned his attentions towards getting in shape to compete at the CFR. As the defending Canadian bull-riding champion, there was no way he was going to miss the high-profile event.

“The doctor told me that after that injury (it) was going to be four weeks until the bones heal up and then another week to start training,” said the 30-year-old thrill seeker. “After six weeks, I was pretty normal. I didn’t get on any practice bulls or anything like that. I was just working every day and getting on my horses and doing my drills at home and working out.”

Durazo’s persistence didn’t pay immediate dividends as he was bucked off the first two bulls he rode on the first two nights of competition at the CFR.

“The first two ones were eliminator bulls,” he said in regards to Calgary Stampede’s State Law and Kesler Rodeo’s Alberta Prime Devil’s Advocate.

Nonetheless, Durazo persevered and made it his goal to have a strong performance on Friday night when he went up against Vold Rodeo’s Up Shift.

“I drew the rankest one and I rode him for an arena record (of 92.25 points), so it was pretty good in the third round,” said Durazo, who earned a payday of $9,360 for finishing first that night. “The only time that I saw him, he bucked the rider off in about four seconds. 

“I was pretty happy to have him because I knew he was pretty good. He started spinning and he ended up in the middle of the arena. He really sped up and had really big moves.”

Although he failed to stay atop Vold Rodeo’s Trapped on Saturday and CS Rodeo Company’s Big Colt the next day, Durazo managed to score 88.25 points aboard Daytime Crime (also from CS Rodeo Company) for a third-place showing in the final performance of the CFR on Sunday evening.

“I rode hard because I drew hard bulls,” said Durazo. “I’m happy with my performance because I never quit.”

For finishing fourth in the aggregate standings at the CFR, Durazo pocketed an extra $3,240 to bring his Rodeo Canada earnings for the season to an impressive $32,942.21. Winnings that put him in the third spot for the overall season behind 2021 CFR champion Jared Parsonage of Maple Creek, Sask., and Lonnie West of Cadogan, Alta.

Not bad at all, considering he missed a good chunk of the season due to injury.

“Physically and mentally, I’m prepared, because I never stopped riding,” said Durazo who felt fine afterwards even though he was bucked off four of the six bulls he drew. “Even if they’re not bucking bulls, they’re horses and I’m on the horses all the time and I’m working all the time.”

Up next for Durazo is the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals in Regina from Nov. 24-27.

“Whoever wins the circuit finals in first and second place, they go to (Kissimmee) Florida to the Ram National Circuit Finals in April,” explained Durazo, who’s hoping to compete in both the United States and Canada in 2022. “If everything goes back to normal, then we’ll be able to rodeo both sides of the border, but it’ll be a different schedule.”

With support from his wife Karla, the determined cowboy hopes to improve upon his 2021 season while staying healthy and injury free.

“My wife keeps me in shape with all the meals that she prepares for me,” he said. “She’s the one behind the scenes that does all the work. She’s my nutritionist. She’s my everything – my biggest support.”