” JOSH! JOSH! GET UP! PLEASE! PLEASE JUST GET UP!” These where the words that i never thought I’d ever be screaming in the middle of the arena. This was also a moment i hadn’t prepared myself for. Why did it happen to one of MY boys?’ i asked myself over and over again. It was the 1st time one of my closest friends had fallen, and wasn’t getting back up.  It happened on a bright sunny day at the Yerington, NV annual Fair and Rodeo.

I was only seconds late from saving my friend, Josh Braylon, from the 1300 pound beast dancing on top of him. Paramedics where running from every angle trying to save him before he was stomped to death. Arena officials where pulling me away from his body laying in the dirt not moving, but the paramedics screaming, “He has a pulse! Get the stretcher over here and get the ambulance ready to move!” Other kept pulling me further and further away. With tears running down my face i started resisting them, and that soon turned into fist flying threw the air.

He was starting to wake up when i was running next to him and the medics getting him to the ambulance. His bright green eyes where more of a dull green and fill with fear. They started testing his heart rate, and his eyes to see if he had a concussion.

“I’m here josh! everything will be OK i promise! I’ll be at the hospital with you, and i won’t let anything hurt you! I’ll be by your side in no time! I PROMISE!” By then they had him in the ambulance and shut the doors on me before i could finish. Running back to the arena i was stopped by other bull riders asking if i knew anything. All i could do was run threw them all. I grabbed Josh’s hat that was covered in dirt, met my horse at the gate and took off to find the rest of my close friends, aka my boys.

I didn’t even explain what i was doing i handed them my horse and jumped in my truck spitting dirt and gravel on my way out. I knew my horse was in good hands, and i wasn’t the only one scared for Josh at the moment. Only difference is they didn’t know what to do besides stand like deer in the headlights. I made it to the hospital in time for them to bring Josh past me threw the emergency room to the ICU.