Boots worn by bull rider Ty Pozzobon on display in Calgary museum

WARNING: This story contains discussion of suicide.

A pair of boots worn by late bull rider Ty Pozzobon and two of his close friends are now on display at a new immersive museum showcasing the history and significance of the Calgary Stampede. 

Pozzobon, from Merritt, B.C., was named the 2016 Professional Bull Riders Canadian champion and had qualified three times for the Canadian Finals Rodeo before his death by suicide in January 2017 at age 25.

His friend and fellow rodeo star Chad Besplug of Okotoks, Alta., remembers watching him ride in the distinctive lightning-bolt boots at Canadian and world championships. 

"Those memories definitely stick with you," he told CBC Daybreak Kamloops host Shelley Joyce. 

Pozzobon's family had suspected his death was related to the repeated concussions he suffered during his career, and they donated his brain to the University of Washington in Seattle to try to learn more.

Doctors confirmed later in 2017 that Pozzobon had the first case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy — a disease linked to repeated brain injury that can cause depression — in a professional bull rider, and his death prompted other bull riders to consider wearing helmets and brain safety while competing. 

Besplug recalls how he and Pozzobon, who met on the professional rodeo circuit, found the boots in a small shop in Texas. He was immediately drawn to the unique lightning design.

"We saw them and we were like, yeah, I need to get those," Besplug said. 

Besplug rode in them for four years until his friend needed them to compete at the Calgary Stampede. 

Pozzobon's bag full of riding gear had been stolen when his truck was broken into, leaving him without essential equipment that he needed the following day — including his boots. 

So Besplug offered him his, knowing they used similar gear. 

"He rode with it at that Stampede and ... he loved the boots," Besplug said. "He ended up keeping them and using them the rest of his career."

In a twist similar to that of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the boots were worn by another close friend and bull rider, Tanner Byrne, following Pozzobon's death.

"The three of us had travelled together forever, three best friends," Besplug said.

"[Tanner] said, 'I need to take those boots. I don't think I can ride a bull without them.' So he took them and he ended up winning a Canadian championship and qualifying for world finals, having a great career in them as well."

Since Byrne last wore the boots, Besplug said they had been sitting in a bag at his home. When representatives from the Sam Centre were speaking with him about some other rodeo gear, they noticed the boots in his office — and asked about putting them in the museum.

"I thought it would be a nice way to honour his legacy and have the public be able to enjoy them as well," Besplug said.

The Ty Pozzobon Foundation, established by Besplug and Byrne shortly after their friend's death, says that legacy has encouraged more bull riders to talk about mental health and protect riders both inside and outside the arena.

And the foundation says those boots have an allure, considering the success their wearers have had. 

"While these three are Canadian legends in the sport of bull riding, there might have been a little luck in those special lightning boots," the organization said in a Facebook post.

They're now on display at the Sam Centre at Stampede Park, which opened to the public on May 29.

"It's so special to have a pair of boots like this at Sam Centre. They are emblematic of what Sam Centre is — a place to share and dive into the unique and important stories that make up the larger history of the Calgary Stampede and southern Alberta," Sam Centre historical specialist Cassandra Cummings said in a statement. 

"It is an honour to be one of the caretakers of objects and stories like this."

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988.

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling on the website.

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.

This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.