Local Arizonan Triumphs in Second Rodeo After Heartbreaking Setback Two Years Ago

The rodeo has always been a symbol of strength and courage, where cowboys participate in thrilling events. It is a sport that demands the perfect pairing of all the five senses. However, a blind man from Arizona has challenged this notion with extraordinary bravery and determination.

Angel Garcia Nunez’s story is one of perseverance and breaking barriers. As a blind man, he has tried to do something that many with sight would not dare to do. The crowds gathered in the rodeo at Sonoita witnessed the rise of a hero just two years after a heartbreaking incident.

Sonoita rodeo stunned by Angel Garcia Nunez’s incredible feat

Prior to his entry into the fairgrounds, the announcer described Angel Garcia Nunez on the loudspeaker. The tenacious man waited in the chute, ready to blast onto the ground and etch his name in the history.

Angel Nunez lost his vision approximately two years ago after a failed suicide attempt. Since then, he has been trying to rewrite his story, and the rodeo is his latest chapter. In correspondence with Head Topics, Nunez said, “I just get really hyped up and excited to climb in and ride in front of all these people”. The crowds did not disappoint and roared in unison to cheer for him as he broke out of the chutes.

The daredevil bucking star had many friends in the spectator’s box, including his best friend Tommy Gompf. Gompf and Nunez have been inseparable ever since high school, and the former shook in anticipation as he watched his best friend ride. He even confirmed that he felt “more nervous” than Nunez, who was out on the rodeo ground.

Angel Garcia Nunez won over the crowds with the incredible skills that he learned during a three-day crash course at a rodeo camp in Colorado. However, he is not a total novice at riding, as he first mounted a horse when he was just four years old. He stopped riding for a few years following a tragedy that changed the course of his life forever.

Angel Garcia Nunez experienced a heartbreaking loss

Angel Gracia Nunez lost a dear friend in 2019 to suicide, which deeply impacted him. He said, “I got that news and it just kind of sent me in a downhill spiral and one night I blacked out and decided I was going to try and take my life”. Nunez tried to end his life with a gunshot that left him legally blind for the rest of his life.

However, horses saved him from the depths of despair and brought him back to the world of the living. For Nunez, there is a great difference between riding with eyesight and riding without it.

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Angel Gracia Nunez cherishes the healing power of the horses and wants to pursue his passion for the rodeo once again. The Sonoita Rodeo he participated in on Labor Day is just the first on his agenda. He wants to compete in the Tucson rodeo and also win the coveted gold buckle in the national finals. He hopes to teach other riders with a similar disability as him to ride a horse with ease. His indomitable spirit and relentless challenge against the odds have made him a pioneer to many in the rodeo world.

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