COLORADO SPRINGS — “Yeah, I got knocked out.”
Doug Smith is talking about a sudden encounter that happened a year back at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.
“Yes, I got injured, had a freak accident, but God blessed me. He said he's not done with me yet,” said Smith.
He is back and happy to be volunteering at the rodeo. He’s been volunteering at Pikes Peak or Bust for decades.
At last year’s rodeo Smith did an interview with News 5 about volunteering, along with his family members.
His dad started working at the rodeo back in 1959.
He said, “It's kind of a family tradition. We figured out the other day, the Smith family alone has over 300 years of service to this rodeo, because not only do my boys work, my daughter works. My wife works, I’ve got grandkids moving up into it.”
Part of the tradition Smith took over form his father is manning the center ally where the broncs and bulls are directed in and out of the arena.
A year ago Smith talked about that danger, several close calls with bulls, and the need for focused attention.
After the story aired an encounter with a bull showed the truth of his words.
Smith was closing one gate while others were trying to close another gate behind a bull.
“He [the bull] said, I'm not going in. and he flipped his butt around. His butt hit that gate that these guys are pushing him in with, knocked them almost knocked it into their teeth, and within two seconds, he was lifting me up over the fence.”
The best escape is to climb a fence, only there was not enough time for Smith.
“All I heard as I'm closing the gate was ‘climb’, and so I started climbing, and I looked down, and all I see was an eye and a horn coming up under my backside. and I said, @#*!, this is going to hurt.”
The bull was diverted by others who rushed in to help.
Smith was knocked out and taken to the hospital.
A year later there is still some pain from the injuries.
Smith is humbled by the incident and with no hubris points out that he knows the risks of working the center ally.
“That's a dangerous place to be, but at the same time, it's a job that needs to get done, and you don't want just anybody down there.”
A year later he is back with some adjustments to his center ally duties.
He is working the location for all events except the bulls.
The family tradition does remain with one of sons taking over for the bulls.
Smith said, “I had a little PTSD, but I'm cowboy enough to overcome it.”
As he talks about the incident there is another message he continues to interject.
“Love the rodeo and we love what it supports.”
Smith, who is now in his sixties, started coming to rodeo as a kid and volunteering in his teens.
For him it is about family, community, western tradition, and supporting military members stationed in the area.
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