SENECA, S.C. —
The Seneca community is rallying behind a rodeo legend after a nasty fall landed him in the hospital.
Deep in the countryside of Oconee County, there is a lifelong rodeo legend by the name of Harold Miller.
His fans, friends and fellow riders know him fondly as "Cowboy," a man who never stopped believing in rodeo from the age of 8 to now, near 70.
Over bucking broncos and bulls is where you will find Miller, beaming from the rush he gets seconds before the charge.
"When that gate comes up, there's a big explosion. Here we go!" He laughed. "Do your job, you gotta do your job. Mark him out, get that neck and keep charging."
Miller always leaves the ring gnawing a toothpick, tipping his signature black hat and sporting a grin.
Miller overcame adversity in a historically segregated sport, becoming a multi-world champion in bareback rodeo riding and being inducted into the Black Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Miller retired from the sport in 2024. Since then, he has made a living training horses and fixing horseshoes alongside his wife, Mary Gardner.
"He's got patience, he's got the heart of gold. You never do wrong with him," Gardner said.
On Friday, Miller came out of retirement to fill in for an event in North Carolina. From there, an injury they never saw coming.
Right out of the gate, the wild bronco threw him into a pole, knocking Miller out.
"I've seen him bang his head 100 times on panels and shoots. He just comes out black and blue. But this one, I knew something in my heart had to be something else was wrong," Gardner said
Miller was airlifted to the hospital with severe lacerations and fractures to his face and head.
Somehow, Gardner said, he was smiling the whole time.
"His blood pressure never faltered through the pain, surgeries, anything," Gardner said.
"She was in worse shape than I was," Miller said.
"I was ... because this is my whole world right here," Gardner said, wiping away tears.
On Sunday, Miller returned home. And home is where we found him on Thursday, proudly sporting the scar, sitting on a straight-back chair.
"I still get a little dizzy. See that scar, man? Man. It'll heal up, and I'll cover it back up," Miller laughed.
While Miller is recovering, he and Gardner are unable to operate the farrier business, and medical bills are piling up.
Friends, fans and fellow riders are serving up support in more than one way.
"Once you know the fundamentals, you learn and grow from there. That's what he did for me," said Brian Massey, who owns Two Horse Distillery.
The restaurant is selling Rodeo burgers in the name of Massey's former trainer. And man, are they something special.
"$4 of every burger sold goes toward Harold and his recovery," Massey said.
Keep up with what's happening around our area by downloading the WYFF News 4 app on the App Store or Google Play.
The champion is not planning to hang his hat just yet. Miller said every fall is a lesson.
"I turn 70 in September. I don't see a lot of 70-something-year-olds hopping on," Miller said. "I'll probably get back on. Finish out with a good one."
"His pretty blue eyes are shining at me. That's what matters," Gardner said.
After recovery, he hopes to continue traveling and working on shoes and training young rodeo stars.
"You're Superman without a cape. There are not many people like Harold Miller," Gardner said.
"There probably aren't many people you'd really call 'Cowboy' in this area, but Harold truly is. I mean, that's his life," Massey said.
Click here to learn more about Harold "Cowboy" Miller's journey and his road to recovery.
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