Merritt bull rider Ty Pozzobon has proven once again that he is one tough hombre.
With his wonky right knee firmly ensconced in a custom brace, the 23-year-old cowboy from the Nicola Valley rode to a 10th-place finish at this year’s PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada on the weekend.
Back in early July, Pozzobon shredded his knee while competing at the Calgary Stampede.
The initial diagnosis was a completely severed anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) as well as significant damage to the medial collateral ligament (MCL).
The conclusion was that Pozzobon’s rodeo competitive season was over, and that extensive surgery would be required, followed by a minimum six months of recovery and intensive rehabilitation.
Understandably, Pozzobon sought out a second opinion and turned to the PBR’s own medical specialists for further assessment.
After over two months on the sidelines, the good news finally came in early September.
“They had a long look at my MRI and determined that my ACL was damaged but not completely torn, and that the LCL was also torn, but that a significant amount of scar tissue was really helping to keep it together.
“Wearing the brace, the knee is good. Pain-wise, it doesn’t hurt me at all.”
Pozzobon returned to action in late September, just in time for the buildup to the World Finals. He competed on three occasions, and had no problems with the knee.
“It clicks a few times, but otherwise, everything feels good.”
Pozzobon had two successful eight-second rides at the Finals. In round two, he took Fire & Smoke to a score of 88.0, good for fifth place overall in the 35-man competition.
“That bulls only been ridden three times in competition,” Pozzobon said. “He was a good one.”
In the fifth and final round, Pozzobon teamed up with a bull called White Lie to place third with a score of 87.5 points.
Pozzobon’s winnings on the weekend totalled $32,500. It brought his season-long Built Ford Tough Series earnings up to $127,146 — good for 25th-place overall.
Pozzobon is currently lying low and resting up in Texas, preparing for the PBR Canada Finals in Saskatoon on the November 14 – 15 weekend.
Immediately following those Finals, Pozzobon will undergo minor surgery for a sports hernia he’s also been dealing with. He fully expects to be ready and rarin’ to go when the new Built Ford Tough season kicks off in January.
