born again to ride PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDING STAR TRAVIS BRISCOE WAS ON HIS DEATHBED A NEAR-DECADE AGO. THAT’S WHEN UNFATHOMABLE HEALING WHICH CAN ONLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DIVINE BROUGHT HIM BACK TO BULL RIDING...AND SURPRISINGLY BETTER THAN EVER BY STEPHEN COPELAND
ANDY WATSON / PBR
he said sternly. “God is not going to let him die.”
When Wrestling Goes Wrong
“It drove me nuts because I was the one that did it. I just kept thinking, ‘What the hell did I do?’” After spending Thanksgiving in Colorado Springs with his mother, Travis went to his dad’s house for the weekend in Edgewood, New Mexico, just east of Albuquerque. Travis, his father George Briscoe and his cousin Levi were wrestling in the living room like they always do, when all 185 pounds of George and 140 of Levi landed on the delicate 120-pound frame of Travis—and primarily on his cheekbone. W E B S I T E : w w w. S p o r t s S p e c t r u m . c o m
It hurt, of course. But Travis was a bull rider—and a good one at that, acclaimed by his peers and expected to make a dent on the Professional Bull Riding Tour whenever he turned 18. His opponent was usually a 2000-pound four-legged creature. A measly wrestling wound was nothing. The next morning, George went into Travis’ room to wake him up to do school work (Travis was home schooled by Debbie). “I don’t feel good,” Travis said. “Alright, let’s take the day off from school,” George replied. The next morning, George went into his room again. “Travis, get up and take a shower.” “Okay,” Travis said. SPORTS SPECTRUM ~ DIGIMAG 2011
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