Ohl Recovering from Serious Injury
by ProRodeo.com | Jun 30, 2014
Cody Ohl, a six-time PRCA world champion – five in tie-down roping and one in all-around – is recovering from a June 22 accident outside of the arena that will cause him to sit out Cowboy Christmas.
“I was hauling some cattle to a lease place of mine (on Sunday morning, June 22) before I was going to head out that Monday to Reno,” Ohl said. “A heifer cut back down the alley where I was standing and horned me in the ribs and shattered a rib underneath my (left) arm there, about three or four inches down. It shattered it in 17 pieces and I also had a little pin hole in my lung, and bruising to my lung.”
Ohl spent four days in the hospital – two in Hamilton, Texas, and two in Waco, Texas – before being released on the evening of June 26. Ohl said the pin hole in his lung closed after about 34 hours.
“I started getting a little bit of pneumonia symptoms in that lung,” Ohl said. “I was in the Hamilton hospital for two days and then they transported me to Waco because they have better breathing systems and a better way to treat those pneumonia symptoms that were coming on. I’m just taking one day at a time, and I’m starting to feel a little better. I was working out for 2½ weeks before I was going to head out and I was in great shape. Now I’m just back at zero. If I’m out in the sun and try to do anything, I just get winded real easy.”
Despite his injury, Ohl is optimistic about when he can return to action.
“My goal is to try and get out there in a couple of weeks,” Ohl said. “I’m going to a specialist in Waco (Tuesday, July 1) to get another chest X-ray. Every day changes a little bit and I feel like I get a little bit better. I don’t know about getting out and about. If I stress myself any at all, I just get winded real bad.”
Ohl won tie-down roping gold buckles in 1997-98, 2001, 2003 and 2006, and the all-around in 2001. A year ago, Ohl finished second in the world standings, thanks to winning Rounds 3, 4, 5, 7, and 10 at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. His five round wins tied the event record set by Dave Brock in 1978.
Ohl is 33rd in the June 30 Windham Weaponry High Performance PRCA World Standings with $15,076.
“I have gotten through a bunch of injuries and competed with them and I never had to miss out (on) too much ever,” Ohl said. “I have $15,000 won and I just need to get on the boards a little bit better. In another four to five weeks, surely I will be 100 percent or close, and then I’m going to have to really rodeo hard.
Courtesy of PRCA