LONGMONT, Colo. (February 3, 2010) - A frustrated Kody Lostroh has decided against competing this weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C., because he can no longer use his riding arm “the way [he] need[s] to.”
The reigning World Champion is a mere five Built Ford Tough Series events into defending his title, and said he’s “trying to figure out what to do” with his injured elbow, short of another surgical procedure that would shut him down for the foreseeable future.
Lostroh competed for much of last season after tearing lateral ligaments in his left elbow at an event in Omaha, Neb. After winning his first title he underwent surgery to remove some bone fragments and tighten the ligaments. Originally it was believed that a more extensive surgery was needed, which would have resulted in being out of competition for approximately four months.
“I was really looking forward to not hurting,” he said Tuesday afternoon, “and now we’re only a month into the season and it’s back to where it was.”
He later added, “It sure went downhill in a hurry.”
The 24-year-old from Colorado said he’s experienced increased soreness after each ride this season – he’s currently covered six of 14 bulls – and said he can deal with the mental aspect related to the pain. However, he added, “but when your body gives out I really don’t know what do to.”
While the condition of his arm has progressively worsened, Lostroh said that Friday night, at a Touring Pro event in San Antonio, he got strung out on his rope and thrown off. Afterward he said he had no strength in his left arm.
This will be the second of seven events he’s missed. He is hoping to avoid missing multiple BFTS events for an extended period of time, “but it I can’t lift up on my rope I don’t know, because I’ll have trouble riding mediocre bulls, let alone rank bulls.”
Lostroh, who managed to win the Tecate Light Invitational two weeks ago, is exhausting all avenues to avoid surgery. He is currently ranked 15th in the world standings.
On Monday he had cortisone shot, which he said didn’t help at all, and after visiting with local doctors in Colorado again on Tuesday afternoon he decided against going to North Carolina. One week’s rest is unlikely to be the answer, but it will give him time to decide on a course of action.
He’s considering using a homemade Velcro strap around his body that he would slip his arm through just before putting his hand into his rope, and then pulling the elbow and arm tight against his body. While this could keep him up over the top of his rope, it wouldn’t help him lift on his rope.
“So there might not be any real benefit,” said Lostroh. “I just don’t know how realistic that is.”
Lostroh isn’t sure if the lateral ligament has pulled free from the bone, but the pressure of his body pushing up against his elbow results in a complete loss of strength. It is also possible a nerve that runs along the bone has been damaged, which could cause the arm to go numb.
“I don’t have a clue at the moment,” he said. “I’m trying to see what else we can do.”
As of now he’s made no decision regarding Oklahoma City or the upcoming Iron Cowboy Invitational scheduled for the following week in Arlington, Texas, at Cowboys Stadium.
NEWS and NOTES
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