By Rich Winter

605 Sports

QUINN — Two years ago Malcom Heathershaw was on top of the high school rodeo world. 

A fourth place finish in the saddle bronc competition at the National High School Finals Rodeo after his sophomore year at Wall had the young man brimming with confidence and looking forward to a very bright future. 

At a rodeo in Martin that summer, Heathershaw’s world unraveled. 

“I got on a stud horse and my stirrup broke,” Heathershaw said. “I got bucked off and braced for impact with my left arm.” 

The arm, his riding arm, was broken badly and surgery found Heathershaw with plates and screws in that arm. Doctors told him he should let the arm heal for three months before he got back on a bucking horse. 

The caged cowboy waited patiently and after three months he entered and won the saddle bronc competition at a 20X competition. Shortly after, while riding at a rodeo school in Spearfish, Heathershaw hooked a spur and fell on the same arm. 

“It basically exploded,” he said. “The screws and plates were pinching on my bicep tendon. I had six or seven total breaks and I tore my bicep tendon.”

A second major surgery happened, one that set a precedent for fixing a really messed up arm. 

“The doctor told us it was the longest surgery he had ever done on an arm,” Anita Heathershaw, Malcom’s mother said. “They put his arm back together, reinserting bars twice as long as the ones that were in the arm originally. The doctor said his arm/bone looked like a spider web after the surgery.” 

While Malcom was recovering, the surgeon told Mike and Anita Heathershaw it would be best if their son never jumped on a saddle bronc again. 

“We waited a few weeks after the second accident to tell Malcom what the doctor told us because we knew it would devastate him and it did,” she said. 

Heathershaw did struggle, physically and emotionally. Anita Heathershaw tried to explain to her son’s teachers what her son was dealing with. 

“Think of Malcom as a kid that has been training for the Olympics his whole life,” she said. That kid goes on and places fourth in the Olympics, gets hurt and is told he can never do it again.” 

Several months passed and Malcom Heathershaw told his mom that riding broncs was his passion and that he intended to do it again.” 

“I know the risks (ending up disabled in that arm), and I am willing to take that risk,” Malcom said. “I am 18 and I can do it with or without your permission but I would just as soon have your permission.” 

The Heathershaw parents took a few weeks to ponder their son’s intentions. Eventually they gave him their blessing with the condition that he see a physical trainer twice a week and get in the best shape of his life.

For the better part of the last 24 months Heathershaw has been working on becoming stronger. As part of his recovery journey Heathershaw went out from track his junior and senior years, earning multiple state medals as a member of Wall’s sprint relay teams.

After breaking his left arm twice, and at the urging of his father, Heathershaw switched to his right hand to compete in saddle bronc. 

“At first it felt really weird,” he said. “Eventually I feel like switching arms helped me break some bad habits. It still feels a little awkward.”

Over the winter and into the spring Heathershaw eventually got back to riding broncs, albeit without his mother watching. After regional rodeos in Wall and New Underwood, Heathershaw had amassed 27 points, qualifying for the South Dakota High School Rodeo Finals. 

In the first go-round in Fort Pierre, Heathershaw’s horse came out of the chute and promptly fell over and rolled on top of him. 

“My heart sure jumped a few beats for a few seconds,” Anita Heathershaw said. 

Granted a re-ride, Heathershaw’s ride scored 67 points in the first go-round, 64 in the second go-round and 57 in the short go. His total score of 68 helped Heathershaw to a fourth place finish and a return trip to the national finals. 

“Coming into state my goal was to make nationals and prove that I could do it after that injury,” he said. “My mindset was I was going to stay on three horses no matter how it happened.” 

After the trip to nationals was secured Malcom found his father for a hug. 

“He gave me that pep talk before the short-go,” he said. “He was super happy and all kinds of stoked for me.” 

As you can imagine this trip to the nationals means everything to the Heathershaw family. 

“I get pretty emotional when thinking about his riding again because of everything we’ve been through the last few years,” Anita Heathershaw said. 

Following the state finals, Heathshaw was given some memorial spurs from the Fox family who lost a son, Rhett. Anita Heathershaw said she had a nice visit with Kelly Fox. 

“Her son’s story, other than Rhett’s death, really mirrored Malcom’s injury story,” she said. “She gave me some awful good advice and said even though it is scary to watch them follow their dreams that I need to be there and be his number one cheerleader and that’s what I intend to do.”