Bronc rider Coleman Shallbetter is on the mend after a bad spill a few weeks ago at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. The 21-year-old from Gunnison suffered three broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
The horse, fittingly named Hillbilly Havoc, stepped on the middle of Shallbetter’s back after bucking him over the front. He went into surgery that night.
“It’s going to be about three or four weeks before I’m getting on again,” Shallbetter said, already antsy for another rodeo. “It was a good horse, it’s not anyone’s fault, she just stumbled in the back end and sent me back, and when she stood up I just went over the front. Just one of those things that happens.”
While most would be bedridden after an injury of that caliber, Shallbetter is already back up doing yard work.
“We’re super blessed to get to do what we do. We travel almost all year round, going to all parts of the world. We get to meet so many great people and see some really cool places that a lot of people never get the opportunity to see,” Shallbetter said. “It’s a really great life to have.”
Shallbetter has been riding broncs as long as he can remember.
“He’s always really excelled, and it’s been his main focus and interest since he was a little-bitty boy able to speak,” said Shallbetter’s mom Stephanie Shallbetter. “He’s working really hard to heal up as quickly as he can.”
The Shallbetter parents watched from their Gunnison ranch as their son mounted the bronc in Denver last month. The pair watches most of Shallbetter’s rides live on TV.
“We don’t get away from the ranch a lot,” said Stephanie Shallbetter, reminiscing on the heart stopping moment. “It was pretty awful, but you recover and go on.”
Coleman Shallbetter’s devotion to bronc riding stems from a lifetime of ranch work and his experiences in Gunnison.
“It was something I wanted to do from the time I was a little kid, I always had big dreams of it,” he said. Though the past few weeks have been nightmarish to his trajectory, he’s not going to let that slow him down.
Shallbetter’s 2025 was one for the books. While still in his entry-level permit year with the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association, Shallbetter broke the Association’s permit record for winnings before going pro. He’s been a breakout frontrunner at most rodeos since launching onto the scene in 2024.
“It was a really fun year last year,” said Shallbetter, who had a chance to attend some of his dream rodeos. “I wrote down some goals and ended up succeeding in those.”
As he heals, at an almost superhuman rate, he’s mentally preparing to go right back into that No. 1 spot.
“I think I’m going to fall back in better than I was before. It’s all about mindset,” he said.
“I’m really thankful that my family backs me up 100% on it,” Shallbetter said. “They’re behind me in every aspect.”
Shallbetter projects his next ride will be in Florida at the Acadia Rodeo mid-March. He will be heading to Texas prior for some practice rides to make sure he is as strong as he feels.
“We’re really proud of him for following his dream,” said Stephanie. “He’s unstoppable.”
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