PRCA: Skelton On The Mend

PRCA: Skelton On the Mend, Will Return to Reno Rodeo

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Eight-time World Champion Team Roping Heeler Rich Skelton is making steady progress in his recovery from serious injuries suffered in a road accident May 15 near the Llano (Texas) Municipal Airport and expects to return to competition later this month.

“I had a CAT scan done last week and (where) I had had some blood on my brain up ’til then, the CAT scan (showed) all that was gone,” Skelton told theProRodeo Sports News June 5. “They just told me to kind of ease back into things, and do as much as I feel like I can do.”

Skelton, who is ninth in the June 8 Windham Weaponry High Performance PRCA World Standings, is planning on returning to action at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo, June 19-27. Skelton is roping with header Nick Sartain, who is 11th in the standings.

According to a report in the Llano County News, a truck pulling a livestock trailer was unable to slow down and rear-ended a passenger vehicle, slamming it into the rear of the tractor that Skelton was driving. He was ejected through the top of the canopy on the tractor as it was knocked on its side.

Skelton was located about 25 feet from the tractor and was airlifted to a Round Rock, Texas, hospital for treatment, along with the driver of the passenger vehicle. Skelton left the hospital May 20.

“I bruised pretty much all my major organs: my spleen, my heart and my liver,” said Skelton, 49.

Skelton had just completed a roping clinic at the Llano Event Center and was driving his tractor back to his house, which is just over three miles from the arena.

“I remember getting hit and the tractor kind of getting turned over,” Skelton said. “Words can’t describe how lucky I was … that I wasn’t hurt more than I was. They put me in a coma the first night and the next day I woke up and I really didn’t remember much that had happened.”

Skelton was overwhelmed with all the support he received following his accident.

“I would like to thank all my friends and fans who checked on me and were truly concerned,” Skelton said. “I think I had like 17,000 people go on my Facebook page and wish me well, and I would like to thank everybody from the bottom of my heart.”

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The PRCA, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., is the largest and oldest professional rodeo-sanctioning body in the world. The recognized leader in ProRodeo, the PRCA is committed to maintaining the highest standards. The PRCA, a membership-based organization, sanctions approximately 600 rodeos annually, and there are more than 30 million fans in the U.S. The PRCA showcases the world’s best cowboys by televising the sport’s premier events, including the Wrangler Champions Challenge and the world-renowned Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on CBS Sports Net (DISH channel 158, DirecTV channel 221). The Justin Boots Playoffs and Championships, Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo, All American ProRodeo Finals, and the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour will also air on CBS Sports Net, as well as live stream at wranglernetwork.com. PRCA-sanctioned rodeos raise more than $26 million for local and national charities. For comprehensive coverage of the cowboy sport, read the ProRodeo Sports News, the official publication of the PRCA, and for daily updates of news and results visit the PRCA’s official website, www.prorodeo.com.