(PRCA media release)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Brody Cress’ standout season took an unexpected turn Aug. 4.
The Hillsdale, Wyo., cowboy, who was second in the Aug. 6 saddle bronc riding PRCA | RAM World Standings, broke his right ankle following his 86-point ride on Burch Rodeo’s Professional Lunatic at the Home on the Range Champions Ride in Sentinel Butte, N.D.
“I landed wrong on my right ankle and shattered it,” said Cress, 22. “They went in last night (Aug. 5) and put a plate and six screws in my fibula, and then they will go back in (Aug. 7) and fix the bottom of my tibia right where it connects with my ankle.”
Cress, who earned $3,096 for the ride, said doctors have told him he will be out at least 10 weeks. His second surgery is scheduled for Aug. 7 in Fort Collins, Colo.
Cress trails saddle bronc riding standings leader Jacobs Crawley by $5,405. Cress has had a slew of big wins this season, including Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days July 29. Cress became the first saddle bronc rider in 82 years to win Cheyenne Frontier Days two years in a row. Turk Greenough won Cheyenne’s saddle bronc riding in 1935-36.
“I should be good for the Finals, but I will not be back for anything before that, I think,” Cress said. “It will probably take a little more time once they get done with everything and I go through all my checkups to really know for sure how long I will be out.”
The 2018 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo takes place Dec. 6-15 in Las Vegas. A year ago, Cress made his Wrangler NFR debut and won the average with 841.5 points on 10 head. He finished second in the world standings – $2,651 behind world champion Ryder Wright.
Cress said he also broke his right ankle competing in wrestling his freshman year of high school.
“Right now, I’m just trying to get this next surgery done and go through my checkups and get back as quick as I can to make the Finals,” Cress said. “I guess if something bad was going to happen this is an OK time to have it happen because I have time to recover. It could have been a lot worse. It should get all put back together right so I can recover and work hard and get ready for the Finals.”
