I still remember it very clearly, the events and days following, not so much. November 7, 2013 I will never forget. I remember our conversation that morning before he left for work. It was our casual poke fun at eachother, watch cartoons with Mattie, listen to him go up the stairs, and hear his truck pull away. Sounds I miss very much. I drove to school, like any other day, and after my first two classes I bumped into the boys. Yes, the boys I had just got to know two months prior when I joined the Snow College Rodeo Team. I didnt know anyone when I joined the team and it had only taken me a few weeks to call them all family. It is unusual that I ran into them, it's unusual if I run into anyone on the team at school and not at practice. In fact there are several very unusual things that have happend in Troy's accident. I remember everything in that moment with the boys. They told me they had just talked to Troy and they were all going to Goshen that night to buck horses. I laughed and said that I was glad I was always the last to know. We talked about their plans and a few other odds and ends. It was Thursday, my late day at school. I thought I wouldnt be home in time to make it over with them to Goshen, so I wasnt to worried about them leaving me home. Besides I had a family baby shower that I probably should attend. When I headed for home I called Troy, just like always. It was our normal "i'm on my way home conversation." I was suprised that the boys hadnt got there yet and he was still home. Looking back I want that phone call back, there is so many things I want to tell Troy, so many things. I remember driving down Nephi canyon on my way home. I remember the sun setting, the song on the radio, and myself thinking what I was going to get Troy for Christmas. It hit me like a ton of bricks! The horse they were going to buck out that night was what I was going to get him. We had tried the paint a couple weeks prior and Troy really did like him, we just couldnt afford the asking price. Now, I had a waiver I could pull to get that bucking horse. I could trade my old high school rodeo horse to the owner of the bucking horse for his daughter to use. I had decided I would see what Troy said when he got home about the horse. If he still liked it, then I would sneak behind his back, trade for the horse and totally suprise him for Christmas.
The phone call. I was sitting at the baby shower when a unknown number called me. I usually let my voicemail pick them up since I dont know who it is. However, I walked outside and answered. The voice on the other end was familar, but I couldnt really put a face to the voice.
"JaBoe, this is Susan Ogden,"
"Who?"
"Susan Ogden" My heart sank as I realized Susan was from Goshen and that was where Troy was. I knew something was not right.
"Troy is being life flighted to Utah Valley and you need to head there" I went into shock, I thought this has got to be a joke and with out knowing it my biggest fear had happened. "He was in a horse accident."
I told her thank you and walked inside to get my mother, brother, and daughter. When I walked back in all I could think was I needed to keep a straight face. In order for my face to stay straight I had to clench it between my two hands. When I reached my mother I couldnt even spit the words out. I tried with all my might not to cause a scene, but when my mother freaked out, everyone freaked out. I was finally able to sqeak that we needed to leave because Troy was being life flighted. Running to my mothers car I called Troy's sister Emily. She lives pretty close to the hospital and I knew that I wouldnt make it there before life flight. I told her that I honestly didnt know what she should expect, all I knew is that he was being life flighted. I hung up and immedaitly called Troy's parents Bonnie and Glen. Of course they didnt answer the home phone or their cell phone. I told my mom to drive me to the car wash in hopes to find them there, washing Bonnie's bus, which they had previously told me they were heading to go do. As we closed in on Sinclair, no bus, no luck, and no time. We dropped my brother and daughter off with my grandma who happened to be in town. Then we flew to Provo.
I had no idea if Troy had been taken to a hospital first or just exaclty what was going on. I called his sister in-law LeeAnn. She responded that she was at work, the Nephi Hospital. I asked if Troy had been in and when she responded,"No", I told her we were heading to Utah Valley. She left work immediatly and called her husband to find his parents.
Colten called as soon as he made it to Mona, you see it is suprising that even Susan was able to get cell service in Goshen, because no one does. When Colten called he told me exactly what had happened. They were heading to our house to drop off Troy's truck and horse. I didnt need to ask what horse it was that had done this to Troy. I knew from the start it was Jack. The half percheron that Troy had for about two years. He is by far the biggest horse we have owned. Troy roped bulls on him. I cried about this for days, wondering why he couldnt of just caught Sadie or Star. He told me Troy had been rolled on and drug. He said he was breathing, his vitals were stable, and that is all he knew. He said Troy was coming in to pick him up off the paint bucking horse. He was just getting ready to make the jump to Troy's horse when the bucking horse tripped Jack and sent Troy rolling. He rolled head over heals. He was then hung up in his left stirrup and drug about 50 ft. It is very critical to understand that if Troy had been drug another two feet, he would not of left that arena. All of Troy's head injuries came from being drug and its hard for me to except that I wasnt there to stop the horse.
When I got to the emergency room in Provo my mother and I had to jump down a 10 ft wall because I parked in the wrong place. We were ushered into a room where Emily awaited. When Travis came in, a spoke person for the hospital, he gave us a briefing. He said Troy was getting a CT done, he possibly had a lot of broken ribs, broke collar bone, severe head trauma, broke neck, with a high chance of being paralayzed. With in the first three days we really didnt know just exactly what was wrong. One by one family filled this little waiting room, where Travis would occasionaly pop in and tell us things they were discovering. They led us into a different part of the hospital and eventually just immediate family into another little area to discuss all that they knew. Dr. Bishop asked us what happened, we told him the story. He said that Troy had broke his collar bone, top two ribs (it takes A LOT of force to break your first two ribs), he had skull and facial fractures, brain damage, a collapsed and bruised lung. He said he was going to show us where Troy would be. When we turned the corner from our meeting room, I saw Troy. It was his reflection from the mirror in his room. An image I will never forget. I dont even know if I kept walking or if LeeAnn packed me but somehow I made it to the side of his bed. I remember LeeAnn holding me as we stood over Troy. Honestly, he was perfect. He looked perfect. If it wasnt for the tubes sticking from his mouth, you would of never of known something so tragic had just happend. Im not sure how long we all stood there. Im not even sure who was there. All I know is from that moment on we were venturing into UNKNOWN TERRITORY.
