CODY, Wyo. — Luke Gee has had a long road back.
The Stanford cowboy, now 34 years old, was bulldogging over Cowboy Christmas, but he was noticeably absent from the bull riding. That’s because he’s just about a year out from breaking his leg.
Gee was quite successful steer wrestling, as he tied for the weekend win at the Cody Stampede in 4.2 seconds, netting him nearly $7,000.
“Last year I got hung up right after the 4th of July. I got stepped on and broke my tibia and fibula," Gee said. "They put a nail down my tibia and it took about eight months to get healed up all the way and feeling good. ... It was miserable, especially during July and August — the busy time rodeoing. It got healed up, so hopefully I can stay healthy for a while now."
Gee is married with a pair of kids, so life hasn’t slowed down during his journey back to competition. Gee hasn’t competed in many rodeos in Montana this season but he’s spent a good amount of time north of the border in Canada.
“They've got a lot of good rodeos, especially through June. I was just at Ponoka, and that's one of the coolest rodeos there is," Gee said. "They're close for me and there isn't a lot going on in Montana close to me in June. It's easy to go up there and it works out good."
Father time’s clock is ultimately ticking on Gee’s rodeo career, but he won’t be far away from the sport, especially if his youngsters show a liking.
“Hopefully I can steer wrestle for another six or eight years maybe," Gee said. "We own a feed lot, so I help my dad there and ride some young horses. That takes up most of my time."
He’s built a nice quiet little life back home in Central Montana.
