Much is made of D.V. Fennell’s age, but the reality is, the cowboy is in the best shape of his life.

Still, he locks his hand into a rigging that’s strapped tightly to the best bareback horses. On Sunday night, Fennell suffered a pinch nerve in his neck, something that comes with the yanking every bareback rider takes on the backs of these tremendous bucking beasts. There’s a reason why they wear neck rolls that make NFL linebackers jealous.

When I visited with D.V. before Monday’s fifth go-round, he was feeling better. But, he said, “I’m about to aggrivate it again.”

D.V. bucked off Sankey Rodeo’s Gus, and he felt the burning sensation down his left arm. But it was better, he said. At least that’s what he told Dr. Tandy Freeman with the Justin Sportmedicine Team.