Ryder strove for solitude on his path to the ring, clutching his father’s riding glove and the equipment for his ride. A maelstrom of emotions—anger, sorrow, and the palpable tension of a momentous day—left him taut as a wire. He was about to face his inaugural ride since losing his dad, and each person he passed by offered gentle words of sympathy and encouragement.

Dropping his gear onto a hay bale, Ryder settled beside it. He tugged at the zippers lining his chaps until they were ...