“You Can Fly Without Wings….With Western Wishes!

By Vicki Carlyle Weiland

1997 archive — “You can dare to dream,” a voice echoed over the crowd. “You can live without walking.” With those simple words from rodeo announcer, Bob Tallman, a hush descended over the packed grandstands—and behind the bucking chutes—at the Saturday Night performance of the San Francisco Grand National Rodeo (The Cow Palace).
The house lights dimmed, and a single spotlight focused the attention of the quiet audience on two cowboys who were riding slowly into the arena…in wheelchairs!

The rippling of the applause crescendoed as the crowd and the cowboy contestants joined together to welcome the two spotlighted cowboys, celebrating both the moment and personal achievements it represented.

From the loud speaker music, composed by singer/songwriter/bronc rider, Dyrk Godby, soared in the background.

“Whatever life brings, You can fly without wings.”

There were tears in many eyes (including the bronc riders who horses were in the chute), when 17-year old Jared H.from Prosser, Washington, who was disabled in a high school rodeo accident in March of 1996, met his hero—two-time Canadian All-Around and saddle bronc champion, who suffered a similar disabling injury himself the last year.

Jared exemplifies the “true grit” that characterizes all of the Western Wishes recipients. He went back to school full-time and graduates this year. He will be learning to drive a care with specially installed hand controls. Although he will never again be able to participate in the roughstock events in which he was a high school champion, he has set his sites on a new goal—roping.

Following the ceremony in the arena Jared was enthusiastic: “My dream was to meet Duane Daines. I have admired him and looked up to him for a long time. I always wanted to meet him.”

As for his meeting with Jared, Daines had nothing but praise for his your rodeo colleague. “He’s a wonderful young man who hasn’t given up. I am glad I had the chance to meet him, and that Western Wishes was able to bring us together.”