COLUMBUS, Ohio – On Sunday afternoon inside The Schottenstein Center, Daniel Tinsman was slowly beginning to process his decision to get right knee surgery this week.
“So, I guess this means there goes my shot at Rookie of the Year?” Tinsman questioned aloud.
After mulling over that disappointing reality, Tinsman continued, “Well as a kid, you don’t really dream to be a Rookie of the Year. Yeah, it is special, but the dream is to be a World Champion.”
Tinsman has decided to undergo surgery, and ultimately shut down his 2019 season, after Warlock bucked him off in 4.21 seconds during Round 1 of the Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented by Cooper Tires, on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old has been trying to ride through torn ligaments in his knee since getting hurt in Toledo, Ohio, at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event on Jan. 12.
“When I initially (hurt) it the first time, it was about three years ago,” Tinsman said. “And then now, when I re-injured it bad was my first Velocity win this year. In Toledo, both bulls stepped on it, and it’s just getting progressively worse ever since then.”
Tinsman talked things over with Dr. Tandy Freeman this weekend and was advised that it was probably best to get surgery this week instead of waiting until after the 2019 PBR World Finals.
He would only continue to do further damage at this point.
“Yep, finally doing it,” Tinsman said. “The plan was to hold off, but it’s getting to the point now, man, I can’t get around these bulls. I’m falling off bulls I should ride. Tandy said the longer I let this go, the less likely he can fix it for me to be able to come back stronger. Tandy’s been around the sport long enough. He knows what’s going to happen. He knows kind of all the ins and outs of it, and I’m just going to take his advice and he knows more than I do.”
Tinsman said he will likely be out for eight to nine months.
“We’re going to try to rehabilitate it and see what happens,” he said.
Tinsman is 37th in the world standings and was in pursuit of his first PBR World Finals qualification.
The Farmland, Indiana, bull rider, though, struggled at the Unleash The Beast level and was 3-for-16.
Tinsman was 9-for-26 (34.62%) overall at all levels of competition, and was in contention for the 2019 Velocity Tour championship. He was tied with world leader Jose Vitor Leme for the most wins on the Velocity Tour (2).
“Man, it sucks, but there’s always next year,” Tinsman said. “I’m only 23. So it’s not a career-ender by no means. It’s just one of those things I’m going to have to keep my mind positive, rehabilitate it right and come back stronger, come right back and stay on tour again.”
Tinsman was one of four riders unable to compete on Sunday afternoon because of injuries.
Cannon Cravens missed Championship Sunday because of multiple chest contusions and abrasions after being hung up and stepped on by Mama’s Bad Pet in Round 1.
The No. 14 rider in the world standings was originally transported to a local hospital to be evaluated for potential injuries to his liver and kidney, but he was eventually released.
Meanwhile, Matt Triplett will have to get X-rays this week on his right wrist to determine the extent of his latest injury to his riding hand.
Triplett originally hurt his hand at the Clovis, California, Touring Pro Division event on Thursday night, according to Dr. Tandy Freeman, where he went 1-for-2 for a sixth-place finish.
The five-time PBR World Finals qualifier has been dealing with an injury to his riding wrist since the end of last season, but explained in Columbus that this latest injury is in a different location on his wrist.
Triplett is sitting in 15th place in the world standings. Lil Fool bucked him off in 3.3 seconds in Round 1 in Columbus.
Alisson de Souza also did not compete on Sunday because of a right groin strain that he sustained in Round 1 attempting to ride Pneu-Dart’s Muscles & Shovels (1.81 seconds).
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
