PUEBLO, Colo. (September 7, 2010) - Guilherme Marchi has decided that he’s not willing to give up on his quest for this year’s world title.
With the Greenville (S.C.) Invitational only days away, the wife of the2008 World Champion notified the PBR that he will in fact compete this weekend in South Carolina. The decision comes a week after Marchi indicated that he would sit out this weekend's event.
According to PBR Senior Vice President of Competition Jay Daugherty, Marchi’s wife Patricia said in a telephone conversation that after a week of therapy, her husband is doing much better. Patricia also told Daugherty that her husband successfully rode two practice bulls using his right hand. His reversal will keep Shane Proctor from replacing him in the first of five bonus rounds this weekend – rounds reserved for the Top 10 riders in the world.
Marchi, who is ranked seventh and trails world leader Renato Nunes by 2,892 points, was unavailable for comment and is believed to be en route from Brazil back to the United States.
He injured his right riding hand and wrist during a chute mishap at a Built Ford Tough Series event in Anaheim, Calif., back in January. The 28-year-old has been dealing with ongoing pain ever since.
In a text message early Tuesday, Dr. Tandy Freeman wrote that Marchi “has cartilage tear, ligament injury and mild early arthritic changes commonly seen in bull riders, as well as inflammation (synovitis).
When contacted later in the day and informed of Marchi’s last-minute decision to compete, Freeman said, “At this point in time it’s a matter of how he feels. … If he feels he can be competitive, then sure.”
Freeman called Marchi’s decision “a risk-benefit ratio” and added “there times when there is not a great option.”
There are only five BFTS events remaining before the start of the PBR World Finals, and Marchi is left with two options, “neither of which are optimal,” according to Freeman.
Marchi could rest until the Oct. 20 start of the Finals, but there is no guarantee his wrist will feel any differently than it does now. Or he could compete, in which case riding might not make it any worse than it already is.
Freeman said that by continuing to compete, Marchi “may be prolonging the time it hurts,” but that a rare an injury like this “ends up causing someone to quit riding” all together.
Freeman indicated that a “big part of the problem now is that the wrist has been inflamed.”
Immediately following the last BFTS event, which took place two weekends ago in Ontario, Calif., Freeman injected the wrist with an anti-inflammatory medicine and told Marchi not to aggravate it for seven to 10 days.
Marchi has been mired in the worst season of his career since his BFTS debut in 2006, when he finished 41st in the world standings after having competed in just six events.
In the past five years, he has finished no worse than third in the standings.
