The 34-year-old McOsker was at the Galisteo Rodeo on July 18 when, upon finishing his winning bronc ride, he was kicked in the head by his horse.

The horse's hoof caught him in the face, crushing his left cheek and making it difficult for paramedics to give him oxygen. He was rushed to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, where his family made the difficult decision on July 20 to unhook the machines keeping him alive.

McOsker died soon afterward.

"He was really a very interesting person," McOsker's father, Martin McOsker, said. "He certainly always lived life to the fullest."

McOsker was a construction engineer for a firm in Corrales, but his weekends were spent on a horse. He was part of the close-knit fraternity of amateur rodeoers who travel each weekend to events all over the state.

He shared his passion with his family: His 14-year-old daughter Bailey and 6-year-old son Kole also compete. His other son, Zeb, is 17 months and a little young for the cowboy life. His wife, Tay, is expecting their fourth child.

Kenny McOsker was an organ donor and his father said his organs went to three people in New Mexico, one in Arizona and another in Minnesota.

A funeral for Kenny McOsker is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Moriarty Civic Center.

Hooked on riding

Rodeo had not always been a passion for Kenny McOsker. Growing up, the 1995 graduate of Sandia High School in Albuquerque had been more into football and baseball.

But while attending the University of New Mexico, Martin McOsker said, Kenny was invited by a friend to a rodeo training school in Peralta to try a ride on a mechanical bull, which was soon replaced by a live animal.

"Once he got on that first one, that was the only thing he could think of until the next weekend when he could get on again," McOsker said.

And from then on, Kenny McOsker was hooked. Doing rodeo, especially riding roughstock — the event in which a bull or a horse does its best to buck off the rider — became something he did most every weekend from spring until fall, often bringing Bailey and Kole along.

It's that family atmosphere of amateur rodeos that attracts many of its participants. Each weekend, there is at least one event going on somewhere in the state of New Mexico, and many times — such as over the Fourth of July weekend — seemingly every small town has an event.

The rodeo community is close. Most of the time schedules are made to make sure events don't conflict. And even when events overlap, some cowboys and cowgirls may participate in both.

And each weekend, friends from the young to the old meet up to celebrate "the cowboy way."

"It's good family fun," said Jeff Herndon, president of the Estancia Valley Rodeo Association. "You make friends at these events and those friendships can last a lifetime."

Safety

Ask any cowboy and he will tell you rodeo is a dangerous sport. Martin McOsker said his son had suffered numerous injuries, from a dislocated hip and shoulder to a broken leg.

"Every time they get on an animal, it seems, they get hurt," McOsker said.

But most participants will tell you that danger is part of the sport.

"Rodeoing is dangerous. Riding a horse in a pasture is dangerous. It can fall and roll over on you," said Red Kingston, president of Mountainair Gymkhana Rodeo, and past president of the New Mexico Junior Rodeo Association. "But it's dangerous for me to drive into Albuquerque. It's dangerous taking a shower — you could slip and hit your head."

Kingston said safety is important for the youth-oriented gymkhana rodeos, something echoed by Herndon.

They said rodeos sponsored by their respective groups always have emergency medical technicians on hand. While the use of safety gear is required for gymkhana participants, in many rodeos in the area it's only encouraged, and available for use. But it is up to parents to make sure their youngsters are protected. In addition, all participants are required to sign a waiver stating they understand the dangers of the sport.

Safety has become such a concern among riders that most, including adults, use it whether it's required or not. Gear usually includes Kevlar vests and helmets. Some companies have even created a rodeo helmet that looks like a cowboy hat.

"Technology, knowledge and information has made a big difference," Herndon said. "Years ago, there wasn't any protective equipment — no one even knew about it. Now most people at least wear the protective vest."

Despite the risks, however, rodeo is a relatively safe sport. According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the highest numbers of sports-related injuries came from bicycling, basketball, baseball and running; and the largest number of sports-related deaths came from bicycling, mostly because participants of that sport get hit by vehicles. And a search of newspaper articles shows that more people have died in skiing accidents in New Mexico in the past decade than have in rodeo.

'They have to do it'

Martin McOsker said his son knew about the dangers of rodeo. On the day before his fatal accident, McOsker said Kenny had a slight mishap and had considered not riding Sunday. But, at the last minute, he decided to go ahead and ride.

"I think it has a pull stronger than drugs on these guys," McOsker said. "They have to do it."

On Sunday, Kole was watching his father from the chute as he headed into his final ride.

"He saw the whole thing," Martin McOsker said. "He told my wife the other day, 'My Daddy's with the angels.' I'm not sure he understands everything, but his whole family will be there for him."

Martin McOsker has no angry words for the sport that took his son's life. As a matter of fact, he said he has been moved by the support his son's family is receiving from the rodeo community.

He said he knows that Kenny was someone who lived life and preferred to confront its dangers instead of hiding.

For Kenny's epitaph, the elder McOsker has chosen a line from a Chris LeDoux song:

"Better eight seconds in the arena than a lifetime in the stands."

Mountain View Telegraph Staff Writer Harold Smith contributed to this story.