Shocked residents of the Nicola Valley, along with the entire rodeo world, are mourning the sudden and tragic loss of Merritt hometown boy and celebrated professional bull rider Ty Pozzobon.
The 25-year-old Pozzobon passed away at his home 25 kilometres west of Merritt on Monday afternoon.
Pozzobon, a graduate of Merritt Secondary School and anoutstanding all-around athlete, had gained world-renown in recent years as a result of his tremendous success on the Canadian and Built Ford Tough professional bull-riding circuits. In 2016 alone, Pozzobon was the winner of the PBR Canada title, and a fourth-place finisher at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas in November.
Ty Pozzobon was the only son of parents Luke and Leanne. He also leaves behind his sister, Amy, and his wife, Jayd, along with numerous other relatives and close friends.
The Pozzobon family has stated that funeral arrangements are currently being made, and details will be announced in due course. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rider Relief Fund at www.riderrelief.org.
“It’s important that people know about the implications of head injuries as a result of concussions,” stated Leanne Pozzobon.
From 2013 to 2015, the Pozzobon family hosted the Ty Pozzobon Invitational bull-riding event in Merritt.
It attracted some of the world’stop cowboys.