PRCA Champion Bull Rider Sage Kimzey Sidelined with Injury

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Sage Kimzey, the reigning six-time PRCA bull riding world champion, is going to have left ankle surgery Feb. 14 in San Antonio.

Kimzey was injured during a ride at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, Feb. 11, on Powder River Rodeo’s Hot Pursuit.

“I had seen that bull, and he’s usually a nice bull and he just didn’t have his day,” Kimzey said. “I made the whistle (and had a score of 67), and then he flopped on me right after the whistle. (Bullfighter) Cody Webster came in and pulled my bull rope and got me out of there and got the bull out of the arena. I was standing over by the fence, and I hobbled out of the arena and got over to the chutes and the pain kind of hit. I thought this was going to be more than a bruise. I got some X-rays that night, and the X-rays came back negative, so I went and got an MRI in the morning (Feb. 12).”

Kimzey said he’s only expected to miss two to three weeks.

According to Kimzey, he’s having the same surgery that University of Alabama former star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had on his ankles in 2018 and 2019. The innovative procedure, called “tightrope,” has been used to accelerate recovery from ankle sprains. The tightrope procedure involves tying things together rather than bolting things with screws.

“My fibula rotated quite a bit, and whenever that happens there’s not really a choice but to accept to have surgery,” said Kimzey, 25. “I like to think I have a pretty high pain tolerance, and this is painful. The joint’s unstable because of the injury. I want to go in and get it fixed, and recovery time is going to be shorter and should come back just as good as ever.

“I hope to be back around the first of March, but we will play it by ear, and I will listen to my body.”

Kimzey was sixth in the Feb. 12 PRCA | RAM World Standings with $23,338.

Courtesy of PRCA