COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Bull rider Wesley
Silcox, who suffered a broken jaw Sept. 29 at the Ariat Playoff Series rodeo in
Omaha, Neb., that required surgery the following week, has withdrawn from the
$550,000 Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship, Nov. 9-11 in Dallas.
In
his place, Logan Knibbe steps in and has a chance to control his Wrangler
National Finals Rodeo destiny. Knibbe, from Stephenville, Texas, is ranked No.
13 in the latest Crusher Rentals PRCA World Standings. Even though that’s within
the Top 15 who qualify for the Wrangler NFR, six of the 10 bull riders below
Knibbe in the standings in Dallas still have a mathematic chance of earning
enough this weekend to reach Las Vegas while knocking him out at the same
time.
“I
had missed this rodeo (Dallas) by $300, and I felt terrible knowing that so many
guys were trying to catch me and there was nothing I could do,” Knibbe said.
“Now, I can be there and see it all take place.”
The
last-minute change of plans meant Knibbe had to curtail study time for an
upcoming trigonometry exam, his last class required for graduation from Tarleton
State University (Stephenville) in December.
If
things go as planned, he’ll be riding bulls at the Wrangler NFR instead of
walking across the stage. That’ll be all right with Knibbe.
“If I
had to choose, I’d take riding at the (Wrangler) NFR,” Knibbe said. “This will
help my chances. This year, I’ve been blessed by being healthy, and so many
things have gone my way this year that hadn’t in the past. Maybe this is my
year.”
Silcox, ranked third in the Crusher Rentals PRCA World
Standings, was knocked out by DH&T Rodeo’s Cross Fire Hurricane in
semifinal-round action at Omaha’s Qwest Center. The bull slammed its horn into
Silcox’s jaw while bucking him off. Silcox underwent surgery Oct. 2 at Creighton
Medical Center in Omaha to repair his fractured mandible and he received
stitches to close the lacerations to his cheek and ear. He had his jaw wired
shut and the wires are expected to remain in place until early
December.
The PRCA, headquartered in Colorado Springs,
Colo., is the largest and oldest rodeo-sanctioning body in the world. The
recognized leader in professional rodeo, the PRCA is committed to maintaining
the highest standards of the sport.
The PRCA, a membership-based organization,
sanctions more than 650 rodeos annually, which draws 24 million attendees. The
PRCA showcases the world’s best cowboys in premier events through the Wrangler
ProRodeo Tour and its championship events, Dodge Xtreme Bulls, the PRCA’s
world-championship bull riding tour; and the world-renowned Wrangler National
Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. PRCA-sanctioned rodeos, including the sport’s premier
events, appear on the Outdoor Channel, Fox Sports, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN
Deportes.
Each year, PRCA-sanctioned rodeos raise more
than $26 million for local and national charities.