The sport of rodeo is plagued by incredible highs that can quickly swing to become equally incredible lows. A tipped barrel, missed calf or steer, or getting bucked off a good draw can all seem like the end of the world when the title is on the line, but recently something happened that put those losses into perspective for one Canadian cowboy.

On Saturday, December 2, Logan Bird was involved in a single-vehicle accident that could have potentially ended the freshly crowned Canadian tie-down roping champion’s life. Bird was driving from his home just outside of Nanton, Alberta, into town when he hit washboard on the gravel and began to head towards a drop-off.

When Bird corrected the vehicle his rear tire blew, sending the car rolling and ejecting Bird from the vehicle. The car rolled over the cowboy after he landed face down, driving his body in to the ground and breaking his jaw in three places, breaking four ribs, and puncturing a lung.

It has now been three weeks since the accident, and Bird is on the mend after undergoing surgery to repair his jaw and a lot of rest at home.

“I can now do things like drink or eat with a spoon using my right arm. It’s still not normal but getting better,” Bird said. “Pain isn’t too bad, my ribs hurt bad if I cough, sneeze, or make a wrong move there is a sudden pain but not all the time.”

The recovery will be hard, especially for the slender built cowboy that can’t stand to lose any weight; he says “eating sucks” since he can't eat solid food, but the Canadian champion’s spirit can't be dashed. Bird has his recovery plan mapped out to the day and has set the bar high for when he hopes to return to action.

“I’m not supposed to do anything until January 8," he said. "I should get my braces off my jaw around then, then I can start physio and getting my muscles back into shape. January 20 is seven weeks, (and) I hope to be able to ride and rope the dummy and stuff by then."

After that, the biggest hurdle he’ll face will be getting back into competition, and after the 2017 season saw Bird as the Canadian tie-down roping champion, he’s got some new opportunities he doesn’t want to miss out on. 

“My goal is to go to Yuma (on) February 10, but if that won't work hopefully the American semifinals and Tucson in mid-February, and then Houston.”

Until his jaw regains all of its strength, he may also be joining the likes of 2005 all-around world champion Ryan Jarrett, who chooses to string from the belt instead of holding the piggin’ string in his mouth. So we may see a small change in the arena for now, but the lasting change for Bird will come in the form of his new mindset.

“When I miss and have a bad day, or a bad stretch, I definitely wont be as upset — I used to think, ‘Well, that was a terrible day,’ because I had something go wrong at an important rodeo or many times in a row,” said Bird, who believes the high moments in rodeo will always be the same, but he’s gained a whole new perspective on the low moments.

“After having a broken jaw, I wont take for granted being able to go out and eat with your friends after the rodeo — whether you won or lost, those are the good times,” said Bird of his new outlook on life.

“I will think of how lucky I am to be there competing, and just to make the most of all the time you have because mine almost came to an end really quickly.”