Hulbert bull rider Ryan Dirteater back after knee injury

The last time Ryan Dirteater competed in a PBR event in Oklahoma City he was riding a hot streak.

Nicknamed “The Cherokee Kid,” Dirteater even had the chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma make a trip from Tahlequah to Oklahoma City to watch the 20-year-old bull rider from Hulbert.

That was in 2009 after Dirteater had scored a career best 90.75 on the bull Black Pearl in the second round of the PBR Express Classic to lead heading into the event's final day.

Dirteater was just a second and half from winning the event the next day during the championship round when he was bucked 6.5 seconds into his ride on the bull Chance to finish second to Brazilian Ednei Caminhas.

Still, Dirteater left Oklahoma City two years ago second in the world standings and seemingly headed for a breakout year. Then injuries derailed his season.

In March, Dirteater broke his leg when a bull fell on him. He was sidelined four months.

When he returned, Dirteater broke his jaw and suffered a concussion when a bull's horn struck him on the chin.

Then in September during the PBR's final regular-season event in Connecticut, Dirteater dislocated his knee when his spur got caught in the bull rope.

“It was a nasty, nasty injury,” said Dirteater's traveling partner and fellow bull rider, Austin Meier of Kinta. “It was tough to see.”

Normally, a bull will just try to run straight out the arena when a spur gets hung in the bull rope, Meier said.

“The bull kept trying to jump over the top of him and twisted his leg around,” he said. “It (nearly) ripped his leg off.”

A knee dislocation is uncommon and a very serious injury, said Dr. Tandy Freeman, the PBR's director of medical services.

“In any sport, it would be considered a career-threatening injury,” Freeman said.

Dirteater had two surgeries and was on the mend for several months.

“All I could do was lay around and rest, stick pillows under my leg and play Wii, drink coffee and watch bull riding on TV,” Dirteater said.

As soon as he could, Dirteater started physical therapy to prepare for a return to bull riding. He never considered changing professions.

“He knew all along when he got healed back he wanted to ride bulls,” Meier said.

By March of last year, Dirteater received medical clearance to start riding horses, and he and his father began team roping. They even won a truck at a team roping event in Grove on Father's Day.

It was nine months after the injury when Dirteater got on the back of another bull. He admits being nervous at first, feeling uncertain if his knee would stay together even though doctors assured him that it would.

“I had to forget about that (the injury),” Dirteater said. “You got to prepare for the future and live in the present.”

He rode in a few PBR Challenger events (the lower level of the tour) at the end of the 2010 season and but began 2011 riding again with the PBR's elite on the Built Ford Tough Series. He entered this weekend's even, The Split Invitational in Oklahoma City, 22{+n}{+d} in the world standings.

He now wears a brace to protect his knee while riding, something doctors have advised him to do for the rest of his career.

Dirteater admits it took him several rides to feel comfortable again on a bull, but he is confident that he soon will return to his 2009 form.

“I'm healthy. I feel good now. I am probably stronger than I was before. It took me awhile to get my confidence built up, but I'm back now.”

Meier knew it was just a matter of time.

“Injuries are part of the sport. There is no way getting around them,” Meier said. “You could see he was a little hesitant at first, but when you are off for that long, that's way it's going to be.

“His mind is right. His riding is right. Now it's time for him to start stepping up to the pay window and picking up checks.”

Dirteater said he doesn't worry about getting hurt again.

“You can't think about that,” he said. “If you do, you might as well find something else to do for a living.”