SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Matador Jerky bullfighter Shorty Gorham said there is no surprise that he sustained a right foot injury on Friday night during Round 1 of the First PREMIER Bank PREMIER Bankcard Invitational.
“Being in that arena is like Russian roulette, eventually the bullet may come,” Gorham said Saturday morning after having an X-ray taken of his right foot.
Gorham sustained the injury during Cody Campbell’s 2.92-second buckoff against Sarah’s Terror inside the Denny Sanford Premier Center.
The 39-year-old bullfighter had his leg stepped on when Sarah’s Terror’s backend came sweeping around at him as he was working with fellow bullfighters Frank Newsom and Jesse Byrne to get Campbell to safety.
“He came from behind, and I tried to backdoor him, and I just missed my shot,” Gorham said. “I was trying to hold there waiting for that bull to pick his head up and come my way. Instead, he just kicked and swung his ass the other way. I tried to push off with my arm and my leg stayed in the ground. He stomped right on the outside of my leg and drove it right into the ground.”
Gorham is hopeful he did not break his foot and an initial look at the X-ray on Saturday morning seems to back Gorham’s aspirations.
The Cotulla, Texas, resident will have Dr. Tandy Freeman take a look at the X-ray Saturday night to see if an MRI would possibly be necessary.
This weekend is only the third performance in Gorham’s lifetime that he has failed to finish, and he has never broken a bone at the PBR’s premier level.
“It’s been a good run,” Gorham said with a chuckle.
Gorham becomes the first bullfighter at the elite level to get struck by the injury curse that has been picking off the PBR’s best bull riders on a weekly basis.
Friday night saw another bull rider go down with injury as Emilio Resende dislocated his left shoulder.
Even PBR exclusive entertainer Flint Rasmussen had to head to the PBR Sports Medicine Room during intermission to get treatment on his right calf after he was hit by a bull’s horn.
Six of the Top 15 riders in the world standings are out because of injury this weekend.
“Yeah, it is just one of those years,” Gorham said. “It is part of it. We talk about it being one of the most dangerous sports in the world. It is, and nobody is immune to it. If you step foot in that arena, you are just as vulnerable as anybody.”
Alternate bullfighter Cooper Waln is from Parmelee, South Dakota, and was actually in attendance on Friday as he had helped haul some Flying V Bucking Bulls for Round 1.
However, Waln didn’t bring his bullfighting gear with him and was left kicking himself.
“I didn’t want to because I thought they didn’t need me,” Waln said. “I got it out of the car and took it in the house. The wife said, ‘You better take that with you.’ I said, ‘No. I am flanking bulls tonight.’
“That is what I had on my mind. But I should have.”
Waln already had plans to make the 4-hour drive home on Friday night after the event, but he was hitting the road bright and early on Saturday to head back to Sioux Falls to fill in for Gorham.
“It is 280 miles,” Waln said. “It is not bad. It is all interstate.”
It is the second time this year where Waln was a last-minute addition to the Matador Jerky Bullfighter team.
In January, Waln was in Rapid City, South Dakota, looking to catch a flight to the Portland, Oregon, Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour event when Gorham called to see if he could make it to Chicago to fill-in for Byrne, who had the flu.
Waln also fought bulls in St. Louis in February when Byrne was working on obtaining his real estate license back home in Canada.
RELATED: Waln overcomes broken glasses and stitches in St. Louis
“I told somebody today, ‘If I am not here at the PBR, I rather be home. And if I am not home, I rather be here,’” Waln concluded.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
