PRORODEO Sports News - March 21, 2025

NFR Bull Rider RickeyLindseyBattling Leukemia Head On

BY ZACH ALVIRA

RICKEY LINDSEY ’ S early memories of his time as a bull rider are still vividly clear in his mind. Both good and bad. At 11, a bull stepped on his face after he fell to the ground. It resulted in over 20 plastic surgeries over the course of several years. But even with an injury as significant as that, he continued his career in PRORODEO, which included three trips to the National Finals Rodeo in 1982-83 and 1987. Famous for his form and long rides, Lindsey became a must-see at rodeos across the country. The support he had back then helped him turn his career into one that earned him a spot in the 2023 class of the Bull Riding Hall of Fame at the Fort Worth Stockyards. Now at 64 years old and his PRORODEO days behind him, Lindsey is once again fueled by support. This time, however, it’s to help him through his battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. “Just hard knocks of life,” Lindsey said. “I asked (doctors), ‘Am I fixin’ to die?’ They said not right now. It’s just another chapter. I have to get through it.” Lindsey was diagnosed in October 2024. He woke up one morning to his vision simulating flickering lights. As he tried going about his morning routine, it worsened. He was taken to a local hospital where tests revealed his white blood cell count was 500,000, well above the normal range of 5,000 to 10,000. He was flown to the University of

Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston County. Lindsey recalls a quick trip to UTMB. When he arrived, nurses and doctors greeted him with bags of blood. Treatment began almost immediately and has resulted in multiple rounds of chemotherapy to this date with many more to go. “They were ready for me,” Lindsey said. “I had to go right away, and they put me on 12 chemo treatments. I got five down.” Lindsey estimates that he first started feeling symptoms in August, two months prior to his diagnosis. He made multiple trips to the doctor with flu-like symptoms. Tests for respiratory viruses were repeatedly negative. He was sent home with the usual instructions of fluid and rest. But, as he described, even if he slept an entire weekend, he would start the week feeling even more lethargic. The diagnosis in October came as a bit of a shock to Lindsey. But he didn’t react the same way most would. He immediately accepted that it was in God’s hands. Whatever fate come from it he would accept. However, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight. “It’s not a common thing to have a friend be diagnosed with a catastrophic disease like this,” said Cody Snyder, a close friend of Lindsey’s and former NFR bull rider. “He has that bull rider mentality. That’s the kind of fight he’s got to have to win this leukemia battle.” Snyder and Lindsey met when they

Rickey Lindsey won the average at the National Finals Rodeo in 1983.

were 21 years old on the road. Both bull riders, they bonded immediately. They frequented rodeos together, competing when it was time but becoming good friends outside the arena. In 1983, Lindsey won the average at the National Finals Rodeo. Snyder won the PRCA Bull Riding World Championship the same year. They stayed in contact over the years, calling one another periodically to check in. Snyder said Lindsey’s diagnosis was hard for him to believe. But he wanted to be as supportive as possible, even from afar. About a month ago, with Lindsey nearing the peak of his treatment, Snyder asked about his financial status. He knew the financial burden of a treatment plan as rigorous as Lindsey’s, so he created a GoFundMe to raise funds to pay for Lindsey’s medical bills.

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PRORODEO Sports News April 2025