Bareback Rider Cole Franks Sidelined with Hand Injury

Bareback rider Cole Franks, who finished third in the 2021 PRCA | RAM World Standings as a rookie, is sidelined again with an injury.

Franks injured his left (free) hand prior to riding in the finals at the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days, July 31.

“The horse (Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail) kind of threw a fit in the chute and flipped over backwards and smashed my hand in between my riggin and the back slide and just ripped my hand open,” said Frank, 21. “It was all the way down to the bone. The only thing holding my finger on was the bone and the tendon. I didn’t break anything I just ripped my hand up pretty good. I had 12 to 15 stitches, I do not remember exactly. It still hurts. This was just a freak deal.

“That horse has been to the NFR, and I had never been on that horse, and I was really looking forward to getting on him and I didn’t get to ride in the short round (after the injury).”

Franks said he’s going to sit out around three weeks to let his hand heal.

“They said I could be back in 10 days but that wouldn’t be smart for the long term because if it were to rip open or I did anything else to it I could lose my finger,” he said.

Franks said he plans to return to competition at the Caldwell (Idaho) Night Rodeo, Aug. 16-20. Franks is 10th in the most recent PRCA | RAM World Standing with $92,166.

“The past two weeks helped me out a bunch, giving me some cushion,” Franks said. “At this point, I just want to stay in the Top 15 to get to the (Wrangler National Finals Rodeo).”

Back in May, Franks injured his right wrist and was forced to mix a few weeks of action.

“Injuries are just part of what we do,” Franks said.

Franks was the 2021 Resistol Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year. He finished the season with $227,422. He earned $150,029 at the NFR, placing in seven rounds, including placing second in Round 5 and Round 8.

Courtesy of PRCA