Veteran saddle bronc rider Isaac Diaz out with injury

Veteran saddle bronc rider Isaac Diaz’s journey to qualify for his seventh Wrangler National Finals Rodeo has hit a detour. The Desdemona, Texas, cowboy had surgery for a sports hernia injury May 30 in Philadelphia performed by Dr. William Meyers and he expected to be out of action at least eight weeks. “My groin and lower abdomen both tore off my pelvis,” said Diaz, 32. “I irritated it back in Mercedes (Texas) in March and it seemed like it was getting worse all spring and then it was getting better. It was back and forth, but I was riding (May 19) and I heard it pop like four times before I could get off the horse. The day I hurt it, I went straight to Dr. Tandy (Freeman’s office) (May 20). He told me I needed to fly up to Philadelphia to have them do the surgery.” Diaz was 10th in the June 3 PRCA | RAM World Standings with $52,520. Diaz has qualified for the Wrangler NFR six times – 2007, 2009, 2012-13, 2015, and 2018. He finished a career-best sixth in the 2016 world standings. A year ago, Diaz placed eighth in the world standings. “It just depends on how hard you work at it and how good you heal,” said Diaz when asked about his timetable for recovery. “The doctor told me professional athletes are typically back in six weeks to full competition, but he said we are not considered the same thing because roughstock athletes are using their groins a lot more than say a pro football player is, so he said it will be eight to 10 weeks to recover from the injury.” Although Diaz is going to be sidelined, he’s highly optimistic the injury will not ruin his season plans...MORE