PRORODEO Sports News - July 11, 2025

SHORT ROUND

T.J. Gray at the 2024 Ellensburg Rodeo Xtreme Bulls PRCA photo by Lara St. Jacques

T.J. GRAY TAKING POSITIVE APPROACH TO ANKLE INJURY

By Zach Alvira

T.J. Gray doesn’t have time to harp on every bump and bruise he sustains as a PRORODEO bull rider. He knows his chance of sustaining an injury is high, even if it comes in a rare situation that has plenty of precautions in place to avoid. That was the case at the Sisters (Ore.) Rodeo Xtreme Bull Riding on June 11. Gray matched up with Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Tiny Tornado. He was bucked off before the whistle, land ing beneath the 2,000-plus pound bull. Gray’s ankle caught the brunt of the impact. He knew right away it had potential to be serious. But as pain wore off in the hours following Sisters, he thought he had escaped without a major injury. “I kinda got hung up and (the bull) stepped on me,” Gray said. “At first I thought it wasn’t that bad, and I was going to continue to ride. It hurt pretty good that night then afterward it stopped hurting. So I thought I would maybe be out a total of 10 days. “Then we got a better look.” Tests revealed a crack in Gray’s fibula in his ankle. Doctors said had the bone fully broke, he would imme

diately be looking at six months or more of recov ery time. But the fracture gave Gray some hope, and the treatment plan from doctors gave him confidence. He began working with Sports & Performance Physical Therapy in Reno, Nev., just days after the injury. Two weeks after it occurred, he had surgery. A metal plate and screws were inserted into his ankle to stabilize the fracture. Now two weeks later he cannot put weight on the ankle, but a five-week recovery time has taken away any sense of self-doubt or pity - even though there was little of that to begin with. “I can’t really complain about it,” Gray said. “It is defi nitely the worst possible outcome I had in my head, but I got a good amount of time to recover.” The recovery window will allow Gray to compete at the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days at the end of July. He admits he won’t be 100% by then, but close enough. He’ll still be in a walking boot but off crutches. When he prepares to ride, he’ll swap the medical boot for a cowboy boot.

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