76th SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo: Tough break reminds Muncy of his love for the sport

Taos Muncy had a year to remember in 2007.

Competing at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Muncy captured the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association's saddle bronc national championship.

Then, for good measure, he took on the best in the world in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and came away as the 2007 World Champion.

"That was pretty exciting," Muncy said Friday as he prepared for the fifth performance at the SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo.

"Winning the college title was great and then adding the world championship was something that you dream about."

Last year, however, is one Muncy, of Corona, N.M., would rather forget -- at least the last eight months of it.

On April 20, in Red Bluff, Calif., Muncy and the rest of the bareback riders already had finished competing when they took part in the "Wild Rild," an annual tradition at the rodeo in which the cowboys dress up in any type of costume they want and get aboard another horse.

Muncy, along with Christopher Lappa from Australia, decided to ride double on their horse. The mate from Down Under was bucked off and when Muncy was sent flying, as well, his right foot caught in the stirrup, breaking his leg in two places.

"I broke the big bone in my leg just above the ankle and the little bone just below the knee," said Muncy, who at the time had earned nearly $40,000 during his title-defense season.

"I was lucky, though, because we found a real good doctor in Redding and he operated the next day."

Getting to the hospital in Redding, however, would prove to be another challenge for the injured cowboy. As he was sitting in the Justin Sports Medicine room, a bull got loose in the arena and jumped into the crowd, injuring several people.

Because of that, all the available ambulances were transporting the injured to the local hospital in Red Bluff and Muncy was told that he would have a better chance in Redding -- 30 miles away.

So he was packed into the camper of Panhandle State teammate Logan Hodson and off they went.

"It was a pretty bumpy ride," Muncy said. "But we were able to get there and get my leg taken care of, so it was worth it."

Hodson got a better idea of what Muncy was going through later in the season when he broke his left leg while competing.

"Almost the same spot as Taos, just the other leg." Hodson said, with a laugh. "It was pretty strange."

Muncy laughs at the memory, saying that Hodson gave him a call to apologize for the trip to Redding.

"He said that if he had known how much it hurt, he wouldn't have hit all the bumps along the way," Muncy said. "He said he would have driven slower.

"I just appreciated that he was there to help me out."

Now, Muncy appreciates the chance to slide the saddle onto another bronc and swing out into the arena, chasing another world title.

Time away from the game will do that to a cowboy.

"I didn't realize how much I missed it until I couldn't do it," Muncy said of his forced five-month hiatus. "I was real excited to get back on a horse in October.

"I've been working out and I'm in better shape than I was when I got hurt, so I'm happy with that. And I learned to appreciate that I have a chance to do something like this and that it could be over at any time."