The past two years have taken bull rider Cory McFadden through a roller coaster of emotions. From a hand injury that forced him to miss most of 2003, the passing of his father, Charlie, last December to the birth of his first child, Cort, six months ago, it's easy to see that rodeo hasn't been the first thing on this bull rider's mind.

The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the pinnacle for any rodeo cowboy, instead was the last thing on his mind.

But McFadden (Coleman, Texas) has given his season a jump-start this month by winning nearly $14,000, highlighted by a 90-point ride aboard Sammy Andrews' Koffee Cat to win the title at the Navajo Nation Fourth of July Celebration in Window Rock, Ariz. He also has a championship buckle from the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo with an 89-point ride and tied for fifth at the Prescott (Ariz.) Frontier Days.

These days, riding has again taken center stage.

"My dad was my best friend," McFadden, 28, said. "When he died, that took the wind out of me for a while. Then we had our son, so it's been a busy year, but it's been good. I think things are fixin' to get better. Winning heals you up pretty quickly."

The earnings have boosted McFadden to 32nd in the Jack Daniel's World Standings. While qualifying for his second Wrangler NFR would end his year in style, McFadden is taking a wait-and-see approach to how, or if, he attacks the rest of the rodeo season.

"I really haven't been focused on making the NFR so far this year, but having a good start to the Fourth of July weekend makes you think about it more," McFadden said. "I'd love to go back, but I'd like to see how the next month goes. If things are looking pretty good, I'll go as hard as I can through the fall."

He'd rather just forget about 2003, although there's a lot this cowboy can learn, and already has learned, about adversity.

In February at a bull riding event in Laredo, Texas, he was stepped on, lost an ear and had his hand and wrist badly injured. While the ear healed relatively fast after surgery to reattach it, the same couldn't be said about the hand and wrist. Six months later, McFadden restarted his season in Pendleton, Ore., too late to salvage it but never too early to start thinking about redemption in 2004.

But before the calendar could switch years, McFadden absorbed an even greater loss when his father, Charlie, passed away on Dec. 18. He was a former rodeo competitor, judge, director, pickup man and coach. He undoubtedly had a major role in helping Cory, one of two sons, become a champion in the American Junior Rodeo Association.

The tears of agony turned to those of joy when his wife, Leigh Ann, gave birth to their first child, Cort, in February. Now, he finds a balance between competing in rodeo to make a living and being a family man.

"I rodeo as much as I can, but I want to be here to take care of my family, too," McFadden said. "Over the Fourth, it was the longest I had been away from my son. You don't want to miss when he does things for the first time."

McFadden joined the PRCA in 1996 but didn't make much noise until 1999, when he claimed victories in Stephenville, Texas; Sidney, Iowa; West Jordan, Utah; Pueblo, Colo.; and the year-end title in the Texas Circuit, finishing 22nd in the final world standings. In 2000, he did a little better, scoring an aggregate victory at the Days of '47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City, ending the season 19th — about $6,000 from a Wrangler NFR qualification.

He made up that deficit, and then some, at one rodeo in 2001, winning $15,662 and a championship buckle at RodeoHouston. That victory fueled his entire season, helping him qualify for his first Wrangler NFR. He proved he wasn't just happy to be there, moving from 11th to fourth place after the 10-day competition. He collected $70,228, more than doubling his regular-season earnings. He took two victory laps — one with world champion Blue Stone. Only Stone and Cody Hancock, the reigning world champ, earned more money among bull riders.

He almost made it back to Las Vegas in 2002 but, like 2000, had another near-miss. He ended the season ranked 18th, not quite $7,000 shy of the last spot.

Then came 2003 and the form he has seemed to recapture in 2004.

"Things are going better now," McFadden said. "I've had a lot to do, but it's been good and my attitude is good. Like I said before, I'd love to go back to the NFR because I had good luck there the first time, but we'll see how it goes."

If he can maintain his Fourth of July form, look for McFadden to continue his healing process as the rodeo season hits its peak.