The untimely death of highly decorated bull rider, Ty Pozzobon, has shaken the rodeo community to its core.
Complications with multiple concussions causing depression and anxiety may be one of the reasons Pozzobon took his life recently while visiting with family in his home town of Merritt, B.C.
The funeral for the 25-year-old shows just how much he was loved by those around him. Ponoka bull rider Zane Lambert attended the Jan. 14 service in British Columbia and he estimates that more than 1,600 people attended. For Lambert, and those who knew Pozzobon, the strong support shows just how much the rodeo community supports each other.
Over the years in competing with Pozzobon, who was the 2016 Professional Bull Riders Canada Champion, Lambert saw a strong love for the sport of bull riding but also his sincerity and humour as an individual. “He was definitely one of the best.”
Lambert says that Pozzobon was the one to watch to see how tough the competition was going to be. Indeed, he landed a fourth place finish at the 2016 PBR World Finals.
“It will be one less ride everywhere we go,” said Lambert of the spot that will be missing in the sport since Pozzobon’s death.
The family have said that portions of his brain will be left for scientific research in the hopes they can help other athletes before it’s too late.
For Lambert’s part, his hope is that there will be a way for medicine teams to determine the severity of a concussion, which will help an athlete ride another day. But what he will miss the most is Pozzobon’s easy going nature and his natural ability in the sport of bull riding.
Stock contractor Nansen Vold has known Pozzobon for several years now and it was Pozzobon’s love for the sport that he will remember the most. “He was a Canada kid on the biggest stage in bull riding”
“There was not one person that Ty had a bad word about,” Vold added of his sincerity and easy-going nature.
He said there were signs of issues with Pozzobon because of concussions but people did not know enough about how to help. One thing Vold hopes is the research into concussions will help find easier ways to diagnose and monitor a person who suffers concussions. “It’ll help the sport and give guys the knowledge if they get their head rattled.”
The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Rider Relief Fund.