BILOXI, Miss. – Valdiron de Oliveira became the latest Top-10 bull rider in the world standings to suffer a crushing blow to his world title aspirations.
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, the No. 6 bull rider in the world standings sustained a broken sternum when Whiskey bucked him off at 7.46 seconds in Round 1 and hit him in the chest with his horn on Friday night.
Oliveira is expected to likely miss the remainder of the regular season and will return for the Built Ford Tough World Finals on Oct. 21-25 in Las Vegas.
The 36-year-old has gone 26-for-54 (48.15 percent) this season and was on pace for his first Top-10 finish in the world standings since 2012.
“I broke a bone in my chest, but I feel better,” Oliveira said on Saturday in a brief message.
Oliveira added that he expected to be released from the hospital on Saturday.
He is the third rider in the world standings currently out because of injury. No. 7 Guilherme Marchi is out with a torn biceps in his riding arm and No. 10 Stetson Lawrence is out with a knee injury that occurred at a rodeo on Thursday night.
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