Saturday, July 24, 2010
Rider Grabbed Life by the Reins
BSHTAGPARSER:CTPROVIDER:AlbuquerqueJournalTITLE: Rider Grabbed Life by the ReinsCOPYRIGHT:Copyright2010 <ahref="
http://www.albuquerquejournal.com">AlbuquerqueJournal</a>AUTHOR: Rory McClannahan ORIGINAL PHOTO PATH = #PHOTOPATH1# BSHSTARTBODY
By Rory McClannahan
ssCopyright © 2010 Albuquerque Journal Mountain View Telegraph
es indent endind Edgewood's Kenny McOsker was not one to hide from the dangers of life. And, in the end, it was one of those dangers that killed him. indent
endind The 34-year-old McOsker was at the Galisteo Rodeo on Sunday when, upon finishing his winning bronc ride, he was kicked in the head by his horse. indent
endind The horse's hoof caught him in the face, crushing his left cheek and making it difficult for paramedics to give him oxygen. He was rushed to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, where his family made the difficult decision Tuesday to unhook the machines keeping him alive. indent
endind McOsker died soon afterward. indent
endind "He certainly always lived life to the fullest," said his father, Martin McOsker. indent
endind Kenny McOsker was a construction engineer for a firm in Corrales, but his weekends were spent on a horse. He was part of the close-knit fraternity of amateur rodeoers who travel each weekend to events all over the state. indent
endind He shared his passion with his family: His 14-year-old daughter Bailey and 6-year-old son Kole also compete. His other son, Zeb, is 17 months and a little young for the cowboy life. His wife, Tay, is expecting their fourth child. indent
endind Kenny McOsker was an organ donor and his father said his organs went to three people in New Mexico, one in Arizona and another in Minnesota. indent
endind Hooked on ridingindent
endind Rodeo had not always been a passion for Kenny McOsker. Growing up, the 1995 graduate of Sandia High School had been more into football and baseball. indent
endind But Martin McOsker said that, while was his son was attending the University of New Mexico, Kenny was invited by a friend to a rodeo training school in Peralta to try a ride on a mechanical bull, which was soon replaced by a live animal. indent
endind "Once he got on that first one, that was the only thing he could think of until the next weekend when he could get on again," McOsker said. indent
endind And from then on, Kenny McOsker was hooked. Doing rodeo, especially riding roughstock — the event in which a bull or a horse does its best to buck off the rider — became something he did most every weekend from spring until fall. indent
endind It's the family atmosphere of amateur rodeos that attracts many of its participants. Each weekend, there is at least one event going on somewhere in the state of New Mexico, and many times — such as over the Fourth of July weekend — every small town seemingly has an event. indent
endind And each weekend, friends from the young to the old meet up to celebrate "the cowboy way."indent
endind "It's good family fun," said Jeff Herndon, president of the Estancia Valley Rodeo Association. "You make friends at these events, and those friendships can last a lifetime."indent
endind The sport creates a bond that lasts through the stages of life. Several weeks ago, professional bull rider Travis Briscoe, one of the top professional riders in the world, showed up at a bull-riding event in Estancia, offering a hand and a little advice to some of the younger riders. Briscoe grew up in the Estancia Valley and cut his rodeo teeth as a youth in New Mexico events. indent
endind "The bonds are very close," Herndon said. "It's a close-knit community."indent
endind 'They have to do it'indent
endind Ask any cowboy, and he will tell you that rodeo is a dangerous sport. Martin McOsker said that his son had suffered numerous injuries, from a dislocated hip and shoulder to a broken leg. indent
endind "Every time they get on an animal, it seems they get hurt," McOsker said. indent
endind But most participants will tell you that injury is part of the sport. indent
endind "Rodeoing is dangerous. Riding a horse in a pasture is dangerous. It can fall and roll over on you," said Red Kingston, president of Mountainair Gymkhana Rodeo, and past president of the New Mexico Junior Rodeo Association. "But it's dangerous for me to drive into Albuquerque. It's dangerous taking a shower — you could slip and hit your head."indent
endind Martin McOsker said his son knew about the dangers of rodeo. On the day before his accident, McOsker said Kenny had a slight mishap and had considered not riding Sunday. But, at the last minute, he decided to go ahead and ride. indent
endind "I think it has a pull stronger than drugs on these guys," McOsker said. "They have to do it."indent
endind On Sunday, Kole was watching his father from the chute as he headed into his final ride. indent
endind "He saw the whole thing," Martin McOsker said. "He told my wife the other day, 'My Daddy's with the angels.' I'm not sure he understands everything, but his whole family will be there for him."indent
endind Martin McOsker has no angry words for the sport that took his son's life. As a matter of fact, he said he has been moved by the support his son's family is receiving from the rodeo community. indent
endind He said he knows that Kenny was someone who lived life and preferred to confront its dangers instead of hiding. indent
endind For Kenny's epitaph, the elder McOsker has chosen a line from a Chris LeDoux song:indent
endind "Better eight seconds in the arena than a lifetime in the stands."indent
endind Mountain View Telegraph Staff Writer Harold Smith contributed to this story. indent
endind Roping fundraiserindent
endind A benefit roping event is slated for today at the Belen Rodeo Grounds for the family of Kenny McOsker. indent
endind McOsker died Tuesday after an accident Sunday at a rodeo in Galisteo. He and his family had lived in Los Chavez for years before moving to the Edgewood area about six months ago. McOsker was married and had three children with a fourth on the way. indent
endind The roping event will start at 5 p.m. indent
endind Donations can also be made at any Wells Fargo Bank. indent
endind Kenny McOsker's funeral is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Moriarty Civic Center in Moriarty. indent
endind
