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Alves Diagnosed with Left Hip Fracture

PUEBLO, Colo. – Defending World Champion Silvano Alves has been faced with the first setback of his six-year Built Ford Tough Series career.

After meeting with Dr. Tandy Freeman and reviewing X-rays, the three-time World Champion has been informed that he sustained a “displaced avulsion fracture of his left hip greater trochanter” at the DeWALT Guaranteed Tough Invitational in Nampa, Idaho.

According to Freeman, Alves has been recommended to undergo surgery to reduce and stabilize the fracture.

The No. 4 bull rider in the world standings is still weighing his options and has not decided if he will undergo surgery.

Regardless, he is out for this weekend’s Stanley Performance in Action Invitational in Billings, Montana.

Prior to the injury, Alves had competed in 145 consecutive BFTS events since making his BFTS debut in 2010 – coincidentally – in Nampa.

Alves injured the hip when he was hit by Legal Tender following his 3.88-second buckoff in Round 1 on Saturday night.

“The bull hit me during the competition,” Alves said on Sunday. “I try to avoid those situations and I am strong, but yesterday I wasn’t strong enough. It hurt so bad.”

It was an unusual scene when Alves was helped off the dirt by sports medicine on Saturday night. Inside the locker room, the 27-year-old winced in pain and threw his head back when trying to sit down at his locker and change out of his riding gear.

Alves had said on Sunday that the injury was feeling better and he didn’t believe it was anything to serious. However, he had a significant limp and could not hide the pain that he felt when trying to make his way around behind the chutes.

He becomes the latest Top-10 bull rider in the world standings to suffer a significant injury this season. 2013 World Champion J.B. Mauney remains out with a torn ACL and Chase Outlaw is still rehabbing from shoulder surgery, while Matt Triplett (torn MCL) and Reese Cates (torn biceps) have missed time due to injury.

Alves trails world leader Joao Ricardo Vieira by 786.67 points. He leads the BFTS with a 59.52 percent riding average and is second overall in qualified rides (25). Earlier this season, Alves set the BFTS record for consecutive rides with 24 qualified rides in a row dating back to last season.

Other than a right shoulder injury that didn’t cost him any time last season, the Alves has avoided serious injury in the United States throughout his career.

“This is the first time,” he added. “It is part of the sport. Sometimes it happens and this week it was me.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

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