Bareback rider JR Vezain has already begun physiotherapy after his horse flipped over on him during competition in Pasadena, Texas, fracturing two of his vertebrae on Saturday. Vezain was flown to the Memorial Herman Texas Medical Center where–after a night of testing–surgeons decided to operate on the athlete’s back.

The five-hour-long surgery took place at 7:30am the next day and it wasn’t long before Vezain was fitted with a brace and allowed to sit up. As explained by Nick Morrison–a friend of the Vezain’s–in a social media post, the cowboy surprised even the medical professionals with how fast he was able to get moving again.

“They fitted him for his brace then got him to roll both ways, sit up, re-find his balance, lean forward backward and side to side, learning to move his body side to side, and got to stretch his neck and back,” said Morrison of the first physical therapy session. “They were blown away at how quickly he was able to already work on those things only a day after the extensive surgery he had. He said it felt great to finally get to move again (he was pretty much immobile for the first 24 hours).”

By his side through the whole process has been Vezain’s loving wife Shelby, who has been sharing news of his progress and unflinching character when faced with such a hardship. 

“He will be in ICU two more days to get his blood pressure up and then we will go down a level and start doing more physical therapy,” said Shelby. “He’s in great spirits and so positive. We can’t thank everyone enough for all the prayers.”

The talented bareback rider has qualified for five Wrangler National Finals Rodeos throughout his career so far, and it’s clear from the countless social media posts from his fellow competitors that Vezain has the support of the rodeo community behind his recovery.

“I got a little choked up when I heard the news late last night that my good buddy had broke his back,” said six-time WNFR qualifier Caleb Bennett in a social media post. “I instantly hit my knees with a prayer. The fire isn’t only in his hair though; it burns deep within him, with whatever is put in his path. I know he’ll pull through stronger than ever.”

The road to recovery will be a long one with doctors giving Vezain a small chance of walking again, but the athlete is ready to take on the challenge. 

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help JR and Shelby cover costs while he recovers. Any competitor or fan knows that rodeo is a tough sport to insure for, so if you would like to donate, you can find the campaign HERE.

The team at FloRodeo wishes Vezain the best of luck on his road to recovery.