Ryder Don Colvin

MISSION:

Grindstone Compound along with FMF created The RDC Foundation that supports the Ryder Colvin Scholarship Award. The scholarship was created to help take some of the financial burden off amateur riders that do not have the benefit of factory support. 

The RDC Foundation is a non-profit corporation, and donations are tax deductible. 100% of the support goes directly to amateur riders.

RYDER'S ROAD TO LORETTA'S:

In 2020 Ryder went to Loretta Lynn's for the first time. Unfortunately, it wasn't to race-he was recovering from shoulder surgery. He was there to announce races. He had the opportunity to go and be a part of the apprenticeship program at the ranch. It was an awesome experience and he killed it on the mic. But his true passion was racing.  Shortly after he returned home, he started riding again and went to Grindstone Compound to focus on his goal.

After a couple of months of making incredible progress, he was off to race Ponca City. His trip was cut short when he over jumped a triple and broke his leg (no crash the break was from impact). It was a pretty gnarly break that required surgery in Oklahoma. Once again on the road to recovery he was determined to make it and started PT right away then back to Grindstone.

Once he was back on the bike it was time for qualifiers and he made his through area qualifiers and still had some time to get stronger for regionals. He made it through regionals and was stoked to be on the way! With a week off after regionals he was playing basketball with some buddies back at home and dislocated his shoulder-yes the same one he previously had surgery on at the end of 2019. Once again, he was back at PT everyday determined to go despite the labrum tear.

The plan was to head to Masterpool's for a week of riding then on to another facility in Oklahoma before the final stop in Hurricane Mills, TN. Masterpool's went great. Then, on to Oklahoma. A freak go down resulted in dislocating the shoulder again with just over a week to go to get to the ranch. After a couple of calls to his PT we were taping and bracing the shoulder everyday he rode. He was determined to race. 

Practice day at Loretta's went well. Such a different track than anything we see so lots to learn. Day one of racing was going well. He was running around 5th when he over jumped and his left hand came off the bars and he went down. He hit head and that pretty much concluded the week. He was super disappointed because he had worked so hard. 

His goal in 2023 was go to ranch one more time before he started EMT school then on to pursue becoming a fire fighter. So, the training was in full force. He was riding as often as possible including every day that it had rained up at a local turn track in the desert. When he wasn't doing that, he was training at Mesquite MX or at the gym. On February 9, 2023 while training at Mesquite MX he went down. That would be his last ride. At 19 years old Ryder passed away doing what he loved.