COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Bareback rider R.C. Landingham, who qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo the last two years, will not make it three in a row.
The Hat Creek, Calif., cowboy confirmed to the ProRodeo Sports News he will likely be sidelined until January 2019 while recovering from surgery on his left shoulder and right wrist.
The shoulder surgery took place Jan. 5 and he underwent wrist surgery March 2.
“I had a torn rotator cuff (in the right shoulder),” said Landingham, 27. “I rode through the end of the year last year and through the Finals with a torn rotator cuff and a partially torn bicep tendon. The wrist was just a nagging injury. I had some torn cartilage in there.”
Landingham said he initially hurt his shoulder at the Ramona (Calif.) Rodeo on May 21, and it wouldn’t heal on its own.
“I made it through and got to the Finals and then got it fixed,” he said. “They said I could get back riding in July if I wanted, but I decided that I will just wait until next January and start over at Denver. That will let me get healthy.”
Injuries have been a constant for Landingham the past eight years, but he believes getting completely healthy is a wise move for him at this point in his career.
“With my shoulder the way it was, I couldn’t compete to the level that I need to, to win against the guys who are going today,” Landingham said. “It just wasn’t worth it to keep rodeoing, I wasn’t going to win enough money to make it worth it. It is just smarter for me to take the time off and start over fresh. I just started rehab this week and everything seems to be going well. They are pretty impressed with how my shoulder is doing already without physical therapy and the wrist is getting better all the time.”
In 2016, Landingham finished a career-best sixth in the PRCA World Standings with $211,986. He won Rounds 7 and 10 and finished seventh in the average. At last year’s WNFR, Landingham placed fifth in Round 3 and finished 11th in the average and 15th in the world standings with $106,031.
“After I got hurt, I made new goals and I accomplished those goals and that’s all I could for that year (2017),” Landingham said. “Now, I just want to get healthy and start over.”
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Contract Personnel for RAM National Circuit Finals and The National Circuit Finals Steer Roping
The contract personnel for the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo April 5-8 in Kissimmee, Fla., is as follows: announcers Bob Tallman and Roger Mooney; secretary Becky Martindale; assistant secretary Mikey Jo Duggan; timers Jennie Murray and DeeDee Dickinson; bullfighters Clay Heger and Brandon Loden; barrelman JJ Harrison; pickup men Shandon Stalls and Will O’Connell … The National Circuit Finals Steer Roping takes place April 28-29 in Torrington, Wyo. The contract personnel for the NCFSR is as follows: announcer Bob Edmonds; secretary Crystal Longfellow; timers Jeri Reeder and Doris Mayhan; music Brenda Winklepleck …
Bob Tallman – photo by Peggy Gander
