ProRodeo Sports News - February 23, 2018

R OUND THE SHORT BY THE NUMBERS The number of repeat Xtreme Bulls year-end champions there have

been since the tour began in 2003. The cowboy to accom- plish the feat is Sage Kimzey. Kimzey won his inaugural Xtreme Bulls title in 2015 before capturing his second in 2017. Last season, Kimzey earned $58,657 to edge Ty Wallace ($53,380) for the year- end title. Kimzey also is the reigning four-time PRCA bull riding world champ. The number of father and two-son combina- tions to qualify for the National Finals Steer Roping and National Finals Rodeo in the same event in the same year. The list is comprised of James, Guy and Gip Allen, steer roping 1983; Dan, Vin Jr. and Tom Fisher, steer roping 2010 and 2013; and Cody, Rusty and Ryder Wright, saddle bronc riding, 2016. The PRCA steer wres- tling record number of times Roy Duvall quali- fied for the National Finals Rodeo (1966-86, 1990-91, 1994). Duvall won three world cham- pionships in 1967, 1969 and 1972, and was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1979.

Melancon back in action after surgery for herniated disc After enduring eight months of pain in his back and leg, bull rider Cole Melancon had enough. Melancon, who made his Wrangler Recovering from injury

National Finals Rodeo debut in 2017 to finish sixth in the PRCA World Standings, had surgery on a herniated disc in his lower back Jan. 10 in Austin, Texas. “I started noticing the injury last April, and it’s something I dealt with all summer long,” said Melancon, 23. “Then, after the Finals (Dec. 16), I just decided I was going to have some time off and I wanted to get it fixed. I tried everything else to get it fixed before surgery with rehab and everything, and it wasn’t getting better. It was something I didn’t want to deal with anymore.” During Melancon’s one-month

PRCA photo by Dan Hubbell Bull rider Cole Melancon, who finished sixth in the 2017 world standings, had surgery Jan. 10 to repair a herniated disc in his back.

checkup everything was in order, and he returned to competition Feb. 21-22 at the San Antonio (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo. He rode one of his three bulls over those two days but didn’t advance to the semifinals. “Everything felt great, I was just pretty sore because I had not ridden in two months,” Melancon said. “Since the surgery, my back feels a lot better and the problem really wasn’t my back. The disc was in my lower back and it was pinching my sciatic nerve and it was going down my leg and that’s where the pain was. I’m glad I had the surgery because the pain is finally gone.” Melancon will return to action Feb. 24 for the Division 1 Xtreme Bulls event in San Antonio. “I feel a lot better heading into the Xtreme Bulls in San Antonio, now that I had a few days off, I’m ready,” Melancon said. “I’m going back at it like I was before the surgery and my goal is to get back to the NFR.” A year ago, Melancon earned $200,350, including $92,288 at the WNFR in Las Vegas. He placed in four rounds, highlighted by splitting the Round 3 win with Sage Kimzey. Melancon had a 91.5-point ride on Smith, Harper & Morgan’s Hot and Ready. Just before having back surgery, Melancon and his girlfriend, Raelee Self, welcomed a daughter, Lariat Lace, into the world. “It was good to be home for around two months to be with my daughter,” Melancon said.

PRCA and partners to hold Rodeo Camp in March The PRCA, in partnership with the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo and Hidden Springs Youth Ranch in San Antonio, will organize Rodeo Camp 2018, March 12-16. For anyone curious about the sport of rodeo, here is the chance to learn what it takes to be a rodeo contestant. The camp is open to boys and girls ages 8-18. The instructors are professional rodeo contestants, and there’s no cost, but space is limited. Reserve a spot at www.prorodeo.com/youthrodeo.

ProRodeo Sports News 2/23/18

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