Racing: Bull riding mishap leads to unlucky break for Chad Ormsby

Chad Ormsby. Photo / Trish Dunell

Riding horses is how Chad Ormsby makes his living but riding bulls is his biggest passion.

That passion took him north last weekend to compete in a rodeo near Whangarei, where he was involved in an incident that resulted in a broken leg and a trip to Waikato Hospital for surgery.

"It is a bit unfortunate but it's the game we play. The way it was broken was a bit unlucky," Ormsby said.

"In the chute where we come out of on the bull, instead of coming out right through the middle of the gate, the gate opened too fast and he ran into the post with my leg in between him and the post. Only one thing was going to give there, and that was my leg."

Ormsby said he heard a crack on impact with the post but soon realised the sound had come from his leg.

"If the bull hits the post, you can get a re-ride. But by the time I hit the ground, I realised the crack wasn't just the post, it was my leg.

"I got myself to hospital and the X-ray had shown I have broken my leg in the exact same place before. I travelled to Waikato Hospital on Sunday and had surgery [yesterday] to put a pin in it.

"I haven't had an update yet, but going from last time, it [recovery] is anywhere between six to ten weeks. If things go well, hopefully we are at the six-week mark."

While it is the peak of the rodeo circuit, Ormsby is also busy with his day job running Riverrock Farm and was hoping to get discharged from hospital in order to watch over his team at the Matamata trials on Tuesday.

"We have a bunch of horses trialling and I would like to watch them go around, including Moana," he said.

"She is going to have a trial before she goes to Wellington."

Ormsby said the 3-year-old daughter of Ocean Park has been working well since her third-placing in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day and he is looking forward to targeting the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday with the filly.

"She has been great since her last start," he said. "She just keeps on improving and I can't fault her. We are going to head to the trials for a hit-out to tighten her up for the Group 1 on Saturday."

Ormsby is also intent on trying to get around to many of the stud farms over the next week in order to complete yearling inspections ahead of New Zealand Bloodstock's National Yearling Sales.

"I will still try and get to the on-farm parades and get as many done as we can before the sales," he said.

- NZ Racing Desk