NSPRA member, Brad McReynolds – Terry Rhodes
story by Terry Rhodes
It’s no surprise that NSPRA member Brad McReynolds says he believes in miracles. He is, in fact, living proof that miracles happen every day. In 2012 he was in a bad horse wreck resulting in a crushed pelvis. For several days his mere survival was in question let alone whether he would walk again, and calf roping was just too much to consider. His wife, Sarah describes those first few days after the accident. “His pelvis was so badly crushed that the doctors couldn’t operate because he was still bleeding so much. They gave him eight pints of blood a day until the bleeding stopped.” As he began to slowly make headway on his recovery, Sarah recalls “He asked me in the hospital if he was going to ride again and I told him that was up to him. I said, ‘If you want to ride again, I guess you will.’”
There was three-months down time where Brad was confined to a wheelchair. Confinement for a man that has always been active and outside working with horses and on his ranch was nearly unbearable. Brad describes those days. “I didn’t even know if I’d walk again. You just don’t know how hard that was for me to be in a wheelchair for 90 days. Then I did rehab for a year and worked hard at that.”
Then there were the pain pills. “I had so much pain that I got hooked on the oxycodone after a couple of months in that wheelchair. I have a better understanding of what drug addicts go through, because I was one then. That was a whole different deal getting off of those and getting my life back in order.” One of positive outcomes in all this, Brad says is, “It taught me that miracles happen every day. That’s the main thing I learned; that, and to have a lot of patience.”
With his miraculous recovery, Brad is currently holding down both first place spots in the 50’s and in the 60’s tie down roping division. The newly enacted enter-down policy has allowed him to make entries in both divisions and do a lot more roping. “Before I’d go to a rodeo and only be able to rope one calf. This change at least lets me rope twice. That enter-down helps me out a lot. In Arizona this year I placed at all the rodeos, didn’t break any barriers, didn’t miss any, and tied ‘em all down.” Brad has been a steady member since 2010 and also is in the Texas Senior Pro Rodeo Association, and Ultimate Calf Roping Association.
Brad has been roping calves since he was 14 years old. He credits his roping with getting through college. “I was the 1974 College Calf Roping Champion. That gave me scholarships and support to complete my college degree at Sam Houston University in Huntsville. My rodeo coach, Sonny Sikes was my biggest influences in rodeo. He was a huge mentor to all of us and instilled a hunger for us to win. I have rodeoed part time most of my life and went pretty hard in the pros’ for awhile.” Brad says that his older brother, Mike helped him get started. “When I was about 15 I went to Glen Franklin’s roping school. He was a PRCA World Champion Calf Roper. That helped me really get interested in it and study it.”
He and Sarah make their home near Grosbeck, Texas home where they operate their ranch. Sarah is also a NSPRA member and competes in the barrel racing and as a ribbon runner for Brad. Goals for the future are to continue to ranch and compete in calf roping.
