Injury

It’s good to be back rodeoing again – especially for Cort Scheer.

The veteran saddle bronc rider and six-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (2010, 2012-15 and 2018) was recovering from a torn posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his left knee the past five months.

Scheer was injured Dec. 31 at the New Year’s Eve Buck & Ball in Gillette, Wyo., following his ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Rich N Fancy.

“The horse kind of reared around the post there and kind of rubbed me off on the post and I tore my knee up a little bit,” said Scheer, 34. “That injury was just a fluke deal. That’s an awesome horse who has been to the NFR a bunch of times. I dang sure would be excited to draw her again.”

Scheer, after consulting with his doctor, opted not to have surgery.

“I talked to my doctor who replaced my other knee, and he told me that the best option would be just to give my (left knee) a break because surgery would only be 70% successful,” Scheer said. “So, I just gave it five months and my knee feels great.

“I wore a (knee) brace for three months. The fourth month I took it off and did therapy, and I returned to riding in the fifth month. My therapy was more or less working. I built a horse barn, and I was riding some team roping horses. To me, riding a horse is good therapy because it works your upper body and lower body.”

The rodeo hiatus from mid-March to the third week of May because of the COVID-19 pandemic played into Scheer’s favor.

“I hate that there were no rodeos, but it dang-sure helped me and let me heal up,” Scheer said.

Scheer’s first PRCA rodeo back after his injury was the Woodward (Okla.) Elks Rodeo, June 10. He had a 77-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Flying Solo.

Scheer is up again at the Jordan (Mont.) Match Xtreme Bronc Ride, June 21. He then will go to the World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, Ariz., June 30.

“I feel great,” Scheer said. “I have been running around and I have been chomping at the bit the last month wanting to roll. I was skeptical to see how I would do, but it took me longer to wipe the mold off my chaps than it did to feel good about riding broncs again, so I was happy.”

A year ago, Scheer finished 19th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $72,813. Scheer finished a career-best second in the 2014 world standings.

“My plan is to get back to the NFR,” he said. “I’m going to give it my best and hope for the best.”

Courtesy of PRCA

In a crucial night that could have allowed him to gain ground, Ty Harris faced disappointment as he failed to rope his calf for the third time during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

As three cowboys tied for the lead with impressive 7.5-second times, Harris, along with three others, recorded no-times in Round 8.

With only two rounds left in the competition, this setback has cost first-time NFR participant Harris another spot in the PRCA world standings. After making a remarkable ascent to second place in the standings with consecutive round wins on Monday and Tuesday, the cowboy from San Angelo now finds himself in fourth place in yearly earnings.

The ninth and tenth rounds are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, where Harris is determined to close the gap on world leader Shane Hanchey and Riley Pruitt, who have maintained their second-place positions globally after tying with Cooper Martin and Tyler Milligan for the 8th-round belt buckle.

Pruitt, hailing from Gehring, Nebraska, has consistently finished no lower than fourth place in the last five rounds, including three consecutive runner-up finishes. Each of the winners on Thursday walked away with a prize of $20,871.79.

Hanchey, representing Sulphur, Louisiana, experienced another stroke of bad luck for the second consecutive night on Thursday, narrowly missing the top 6 spots and any prize money that could have extended his lead.

Hanchey’s total earnings stand at $209,927.69, while Pruitt has amassed $203,599.31. Milligan, from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, has secured $186,307.36 in earnings, while Harris currently holds $173,437.91.

Haven Meged, hailing from Miles City, Montana, and Tuf Cooper of Decatur, maintain their positions at first and second in the average time standings.

Michael Otero, the Weatherford cowboy and 2019 San Angelo Rodeo champion, secured sixth place on Thursday with a time of 8.40.

The Wrangler NFR is broadcast on CBS Sports Network, with the coverage starting at 9 p.m.

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