EIGHT SECONDS TO GLORY
Jake Vold of Airdrie rides Welcome Delivery to a score of 88 — collecting the day’s top money — on Day 3 of the bareback event during the Stampede rodeo on Sunday.
Jake Vold wasn’t sure what to expect heading into the third day of action at the Calgary Stampede rodeo.
After finishing out of the money on Friday in Pool A of the bareback competition, Vold was looking to build on his second-place showing Saturday.
The 31-year-old cowboy from Airdrie did just that as he scored 88 points atop Welcome Delivery to win the top day-money prize of $5,500 to go with a shiny new bronze statue.
“I needed to do something. This is exactly what I needed,” said Vold, who knew he had a challenge ahead of him to have a solid ride aboard Welcome Delivery. “I needed to try to help this horse. On paper he’s probably one of the weaker ones. I just kind of kept trying to think, ‘I can do this today on him. It’s going to work.’
“Maybe I shouldn’t have wished for so much. He gave me a handful. He was awesome. I’m glad it all worked out.”
Vold’s performance was judged as the ride of the day in front of the near capacity crowd in the Stampede Grandstand.
“He usually takes a little scoot and just jumps and kicks and so I pulled a loose rigging today just to try to help him out,” Vold said. “Man, did he come unglued and bucked and I had my hands full and just kept scrambling. It all worked out, I guess, in the end. I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen.”
Heading into the final day of action in Pool A, Vold is tied atop the aggregate standings with Clint Laye, of Cadogan and Richie Champion, of Dublin, Texas, at $10,000 in earnings.
Not a bad showing for the veteran bareback rider who suffered a scary injury in December on the eighth day of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Vold was leading the average at the WNFR when Redigo, the horse he was getting set to ride, fell against the chute. Vold suffered a serious knee injury and had surgery just before Christmas to remove a bone chip and replace his medial patellofemoral ligament with a donor ligament before beginning physiotherapy to work his way back into shape to compete once again.
“I’m just trying to figure things out,” said Vold, who finished second behind Champion at the Ponoka Stampede. “When you take five, six months off, you just lose just kind of a little bit of reaction. You’re just trying to figure it out again.
“That’s the thing about this level, you kind of jump right back in with the wolves. You’re trying to win. You’re trying to do it all. You’re trying too hard is what it all comes down to, but I’ll get it figured. It’s all instinct. That’s kind of something I think I was kind of lacking. It’s coming back though.”
Vold’s off-season wasn’t all bad, as he and wife Sara welcomed their new baby daughter, Kenzie.
Now, the three-time Canadian bareback riding champ would like nothing more than to add his first Calgary Stampede title to his resume.
“That’s what everybody ’s shooting for,” he said. “That’s been one of my major goals ever since I started riding bareback horses. It’s just something about Calgary. It’s like one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
“I’ve been here lots. I love this place. I love being here and hopefully one year it’s my year. We’ll see.”
Whether he can accomplish his goal this year remains to be seen, but Vold isn’t going to let his injury slow him down.
“I’m just doing some equipment changes here these last couple weeks,” said Vold, who wears a brace on his knee. “I’m trying to find my groove again. I’m still not right where I need to be ridingwise. I still feel sloppy in spots, but I’ll get it back.
“Spots are sore that never used to be sore. You just lose some scar tissue and some muscle buildup and certain things that really are just hard to rebuild from regular workouts and stuff, but it’s coming.”