Canadian saddle bronc rider Rod Hay, a 20-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier, has vacated his spot in the $5.875 million Wrangler NFR due to a leg injury, and will be replaced by Utah’s Jesse Wright, who was not quite six months old when Hay made his NFR debut in 1989.
Photo courtesy PRCA / photo by Mike Copeman www.mikecopeman.com
Canadian saddle bronc rider Rod Hay, a 20-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier, has vacated his spot in the $5.875 million Wrangler NFR due to a leg injury, and will be replaced by Utah’s Jesse Wright, who was not quite six months old when Hay made his NFR debut in 1989.
Hay, who finished the regular season in ninth place, shattered his right leg June 20 while competing at a rodeo in Innisfail, Alberta. Hay informed PRCA administration today that the injury has not healed sufficiently to allow him to compete at the Finals, Dec. 2-11 in Las Vegas.
“I needed to get more mobility in my leg and feel comfortable that I could be competitive,” Hay said. “If I’m going to go there, I want to be a threat and believe I have a chance. People pay a lot of money to go to Las Vegas, and they want to see that guys are competing to win. I didn’t feel I would be at that level.”
Hay saw his doctor in Calgary, Alberta, Nov. 16, and they discussed a procedure to break up scar tissue to give him more mobility, but determined that it was not a viable option.
“The doctor told me there were risks involved, and his advice was not to get it done,” Hay said. “It could cause swelling and pain, and could do more damage than good. I wouldn’t be able to get back enough strength in time to ride at Las Vegas, anyway. I didn’t want to go in there, ride for two rounds and then turn out.”
Hay is an eight-time Canadian saddle bronc riding champion and well-liked among his fellow saddle bronc riders and rodeo fans. He was expected to be among the leaders in the field this year with his extensive experience and knowledge.
“Rod Hay is not only a tremendously talented bronc rider, but also a first-class human being,” said PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman. “We will all miss seeing him compete at the Finals this year, but we expect Jesse to make the most of the opportunity and we look forward to Rod getting healthy and back to full speed in 2011.”
See the full report on www.prorodeo.com