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Nance opts to ride with off-hand

By: Keith Ryan Cartwright February 03, 2014@ 02:45:00 PM

Cody Nance attempts to ride HIGH Steaks during Round 2 this past Saturday. Photo by Andy Watson / BullStockMedia.com.

FORT WORTH, Texas ― Due to bruising and swelling of his left riding hand, Cody Nance unsuccessfully attempted to compete using his off-hand on Saturday night in Round 2 of the Built Ford Tough Series event in Sacramento, Calif.

The 2009 Rookie of the Year injured the hand a week earlier in the Built Tough Championship Round of the Express Employment Professionals Classic in Oklahoma City.

On Friday night, Nance rode right to the whistle using his left hand – bucking off Little Stick at 7.4 seconds. However, the following morning he and Mike Lee drove and hour south of Sacramento to nearby Oakdale where Nance attempted three practice bulls owned by stock contractor Julio Moreno.

That night he drew HIGH Steaks and, despite a valiant effort, lasted all of 1.84 seconds.

“It’s not disappointing,” said Nance, who as of Saturday evening planned to continue riding with his right hand until his left one has an opportunity to heal. Nance said there was no timetable on when he’ll be able to switch back to the left hand.

“I went out there, I tried hard – gave it my all – and didn’t walk away with the result I was exactly hoping for, but I didn’t quit. I’m not disappointed. I’m not disappointed at all. There are challenges in life and you never know how they’re going to come at you. You just (have) to be ready for them.”

On Sunday morning, Dr. Tandy Freeman released a second report indicating that Nance had also injured his off-hand.

According to Freeman’s email, “Cody Nance did not compete in the championship round in Sacramento due to an injury (possible metacarpal fracture) of his right hand (riding hand at the time of injury) sustained during the second round in Sacramento. He is questionable for Anaheim.”

No further information regarding the status of either hand is known at this time.

Nance is not the first rider to switch hands at the BFTS level.

Reigning World Champion J.B. Mauney infamously rode both Gunpowder & Lead and Bad Blake for 89 points in the spring of 2012 using his right hand.

The left-hander was 3-of-11 – he also rode Pretty Boy for 82.75 points – using his off-hand before taking much of the summer break off to allow himself time to heal.

Mauney later indicated that sustained success against short-round caliber bulls was unlikely.

Kody Lostroh contemplated making a switch in 2009 en route to winning his world title because of on-going issues with his elbow and later his shoulder, but after a practice session he deemed success “unlikely.”

Like Mauney, Lostroh thought success would only be possible with more time to prepare.

Prior to the formation of the PBR, eight-time PRCA title-winner Don Gayused his off-hand during one of his world title seasons. However, in a 2009 interview with www.pbr.com, Gay explained that he only used his off-hand on lesser ranked bulls as a way of giving his injured riding hand less stress.

RELATEDFabiano Vieira wins second BFTS event of 2014

Nance said on Saturday night before being diagnosed with the second injury, “I don’t know that it’s a whole lot different. It’s just backwards.

“That bull there,” he said, referring to HIGH Steaks, “he just really jacks people over their hand and that may have been the big challenge about it. He got me over and with everything being backwards, I didn’t necessarily know what I needed to do to ride that bull. Ordinarily, I think, I could have rode that bull left-handed, but it kind of hit me in the chin and my mask and set me up real hard and blew my bind – my rope – so, I don’t know – if I had to go over again I probably would have set up a little more straight up and down and not maybe reached so much on him.

“Going forward,” Nance continued, “I’m going to try and just keep doing what I did this morning, which is turn it to the Lord.”

INJURY UPDATES: In a disappointing news update that swept through social media channels on Sunday morning, Freeman reported, “Robson Palermo is out for an undetermined length of time with a left hamstring strain sustained during his ride in the championship round in (Oklahoma City) and aggravated during the second round in Sacramento.”

Freeman also reported, “Billy Robinson did not compete in the championship round in Sacramento due to an injury (probable metacarpal fracture) of his right (free) hand sustained when he was stepped on after his (second) round ride. He is probable for Anaheim.”

Reese Cates, the 2008 Rookie of the Year, is not officially on the injury report, but has indicated he is week-to-week with an injury to his right riding shoulder.

A month into the grueling 10-month long season, Freeman released the names of 11 riders competing with a laundry list of various injuries.

Marco Eguchi is competing with a sprained left ankle sustained in Oklahoma City, Valdiron de Oliveira is competing with a bruised left elbow and forearm on his riding arm, Eduardo Aparecido is competing with a bruised left elbow and shoulder on his riding arm and Renato Nunes is competing with an unstable right shoulder on his free arm.

Chase Outlaw is competing with a torn ligament in the left elbow of his riding arm and a right shoulder sprain/strain, Douglas Duncan is competing with a sprained left riding hand, Jory Markiss is competing with a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and Ty Pozzobon is competing with a strained right hip adductor (groin muscle).

Ryan Dirteater is competing with a torn posterior cruciate ligament graft in his reconstructed left knee, L.J. Jenkins is competing with a left groin strain sustained in Oklahoma City and, prior to his hand injuries, Nance was already competing with a left hip pointer.

Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.

 

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