Wilkinson Not Letting Injuries Hold him Back
By: Justin Felisko
October 27, 2017
Wilkinson is on the brink of qualifying for his first PBR World Finals. Photo: Andy Watson / BullStockMedia
LAS VEGAS – For the last three weeks or so, Troy Wilkinson could he heard letting out a painful yell or moan inside the arena.
At times, it was hard to tell if Wilkinson’s frustration was from bucking off a bull or the result of him trying to ride through multiple injuries.
The 2017 PBR Australia champion is essentially limping his way into the Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour Finals this weekend at South Point Arena following a three-month period in which he sustained a torn hamstring, three sprained ligaments in his left knee, internal bleeding from a severe abdominal contusion, a sprained thumb and two concussions.
“What do you do? That’s bull riding I guess,” Wilkinson said last weekend in San Jose, California, 24 hours after being assisted to the PBR Sports Medicine room.
Just as his body may be hanging on by a thread, Wilkinson is centimeters from qualifying for his first PBR World Finals.
Wilkinson heads into Round 1 of the Velocity Finals on Saturday night ranked 33rd in the world standings and leads No. 36 J.W. Harris by 30.84 points.
Fans can watch the Velocity Tour Finals exclusively on PBR.com and the PBR mobile app beginning at 10 p.m. ET.
It is basically ride or go home for Wilkinson with 26 riders ranked below him set to compete at the Velocity Finals. Every one of those riders is looking to gain one of the precious Top 35 rankings necessary to qualify for the World Finals or one of five wild card bids up for grabs.
“Ah shoot, I have been runner-up for the Australian title before, and this year I was sitting fifth going into the Finals and I ended up getting the win by 50 points and I didn’t think winning it was possible.
“Winning every bull you get on, you do that and everything takes place.”
Wilkinson has two paths to get to the World Finals.
The easiest will be finishing the Velocity Tour Finals still ranked inside the Top 35 of the world standings.
The other is via the international invite route.
Wilkinson is one of four riders competing at the Velocity Finals as international invites. Joining Wilkinson is 2017 PBR Brazil champion Jose Vitor Leme, 2017 PBR Canada champion Zane Lambert and PBR Mexico No. 1 rider Francisco Morales.
The top finishing international rider not ranked in the Top 35 at the conclusion of the Finals will qualify for the World Finals.
Last year, two international invites made it through the Velocity Finals as wild card winners – Dakota Buttar and Dener Barbosa.
Wilkinson is arriving in Las Vegas with a little more confidence in his broken down body too.
Last weekend in San Jose, California, Wilkinson rebounded from spraining his knee by riding Redneck for 86.25 points in Round 2 for a second-place finish.
The round finish propelled him to 65 world points overall and pushed him back into the Top 35 after beginning the weekend 36th.
A week earlier, Wilkinson had been knocked unconscious at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“I feel like I got some fire now,” Wilkinson said. “Unbelievable.”
Redneck was Wilkinson’s re-ride bull after previously covering Strong Heartearlier in the round.
“That first one was tougher than the second one,” Wilkinson added. “Ah, it just feels good to get that one of my back. I have had some rough weeks. Getting knocked out. I had to miss three events this second half because of injuries.”
Nine-time World Champion Ty Murray was impressed with Wilkinson’s determination in San Jose.
“It was fun seeing him and what he was able to do,” Murray said. “That is old school Australian. They are just tough and that is how they are supposed to. That is how you are supposed to be in this sport.”
Wilkinson is 9-for-35 (25.71 percent) in 14 BFTS events this season.
The 26-year-old, who will also be representing Team Australia at the Global Cup in Edmonton, Alberta, on Nov. 9-11, is confident he will qualify for the PBR World Finals on Nov. 1-5 at T-Mobile Arena.
He sure hopes so after 10 family members have already purchased flights to Las Vegas and have plans to cheer on their favorite bull rider at both the Velocity Tour and World Finals.
“My family and friends are all counting on me and rooting for me,” Wilkinson concluded. “They are all coming to watch so if I am not there, there is going to be nothing to watch. Whether I make it or I don’t make it, they will be super proud of me.”
LAS VEGAS – For the last three weeks or so, Troy Wilkinson could he heard letting out a painful yell or moan inside the arena.
At times, it was hard to tell if Wilkinson’s frustration was from bucking off a bull or the result of him trying to ride through multiple injuries.
The 2017 PBR Australia champion is essentially limping his way into the Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour Finals this weekend at South Point Arena following a three-month period in which he sustained a torn hamstring, three sprained ligaments in his left knee, internal bleeding from a severe abdominal contusion, a sprained thumb and two concussions.
“What do you do? That’s bull riding I guess,” Wilkinson said last weekend in San Jose, California, 24 hours after being assisted to the PBR Sports Medicine room.
Just as his body may be hanging on by a thread, Wilkinson is centimeters from qualifying for his first PBR World Finals.
Wilkinson heads into Round 1 of the Velocity Finals on Saturday night ranked 33rd in the world standings and leads No. 36 J.W. Harris by 30.84 points.
Fans can watch the Velocity Tour Finals exclusively on PBR.com and the PBR mobile app beginning at 10 p.m. ET.
It is basically ride or go home for Wilkinson with 26 riders ranked below him set to compete at the Velocity Finals. Every one of those riders is looking to gain one of the precious Top 35 rankings necessary to qualify for the World Finals or one of five wild card bids up for grabs.
“Ah shoot, I have been runner-up for the Australian title before, and this year I was sitting fifth going into the Finals and I ended up getting the win by 50 points and I didn’t think winning it was possible.
“Winning every bull you get on, you do that and everything takes place.”
Wilkinson has two paths to get to the World Finals.
The easiest will be finishing the Velocity Tour Finals still ranked inside the Top 35 of the world standings.
The other is via the international invite route.
Wilkinson is one of four riders competing at the Velocity Finals as international invites. Joining Wilkinson is 2017 PBR Brazil champion Jose Vitor Leme, 2017 PBR Canada champion Zane Lambert and PBR Mexico No. 1 rider Francisco Morales.
The top finishing international rider not ranked in the Top 35 at the conclusion of the Finals will qualify for the World Finals.
Last year, two international invites made it through the Velocity Finals as wild card winners – Dakota Buttar and Dener Barbosa.
Wilkinson is arriving in Las Vegas with a little more confidence in his broken down body too.
Last weekend in San Jose, California, Wilkinson rebounded from spraining his knee by riding Redneck for 86.25 points in Round 2 for a second-place finish.
The round finish propelled him to 65 world points overall and pushed him back into the Top 35 after beginning the weekend 36th.
A week earlier, Wilkinson had been knocked unconscious at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“I feel like I got some fire now,” Wilkinson said. “Unbelievable.”
Redneck was Wilkinson’s re-ride bull after previously covering Strong Heart earlier in the round.
“That first one was tougher than the second one,” Wilkinson added. “Ah, it just feels good to get that one of my back. I have had some rough weeks. Getting knocked out. I had to miss three events this second half because of injuries.”
Nine-time World Champion Ty Murray was impressed with Wilkinson’s determination in San Jose.
“It was fun seeing him and what he was able to do,” Murray said. “That is old school Australian. They are just tough and that is how they are supposed to. That is how you are supposed to be in this sport.”
Wilkinson is 9-for-35 (25.71 percent) in 14 BFTS events this season.
The 26-year-old, who will also be representing Team Australia at the Global Cup in Edmonton, Alberta, on Nov. 9-11, is confident he will qualify for the PBR World Finals on Nov. 1-5 at T-Mobile Arena.
He sure hopes so after 10 family members have already purchased flights to Las Vegas and have plans to cheer on their favorite bull rider at both the Velocity Tour and World Finals.
“My family and friends are all counting on me and rooting for me,” Wilkinson concluded. “They are all coming to watch so if I am not there, there is going to be nothing to watch. Whether I make it or I don’t make it, they will be super proud of me.”
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