Cole Melancon Out with Injuries Suffered in Salinas
By Tracy Renck
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Injuries have put Cole Melancon’s quest for a third consecutive qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in jeopardy.
The Paris, Texas, bull rider, who was 13th in the July 22 PRCA | RAM World Standings with $68,630, suffered a collapsed left lung and three broken ribs when he was bucked off Four Star Rodeo’s Kermit, July 18, at California Rodeo Salinas.
“I slid off his butt a little bit into the well, and he had me strung out there,” said Melancon, 25. “My hand stayed in my rope and it spun me around where my back was toward him, and as he was turning back, he hit me in the back with his head. He threw me away from him and he went on about his business. I got up and made it over to the bucking chutes.”
Melancon, who finished 13th in the world standings a year ago, tried to fight through the pain, but it became unbearable.
“We had some guys riding with us who were up in Spanish Fork (Utah) the next day, and we needed to leave right after the bull riding was done in Salinas so we could get them to Spanish Fork on time,” Melancon said. “We drove all night to Spanish Fork, and I just laid in the camper all night. When we got to Spanish Fork, Friday morning (July 19), they were doing slack, and I went and saw the woman with Justin Sportsmedicine. She talked me into going to get an X-ray just to be sure. I got an X-ray with a local doctor, and he told me my lung was collapsed and I broke three ribs. I went straight to the hospital, and they put a chest tube in to get my lung back to normal.”
Melancon was in a hospital in Provo, Utah, until Tuesday when he was released.
“Everything is good now,” Melancon said. “My lung is good. They took that chest tube out Monday morning. They told me to take some time off because of the injuries.”
Melancon said he plans on taking off about three weeks before returning to competition.
“This is a bad time to get hurt,” Melancon said. “I’m going to take it easy for a little bit and then get back out there to make a solid run to try and get back to the NFR.”
Courtesy of PRCA