Bull rider Ryan Dirteater is durable, dogged

What bull rider Ryan Dirteater calls just some “bumps and bruises” is likely to make a normal person’s head spin.

In 2009, the Oklahoman broke his femur and missed four months. When he came back, he dislocated his left knee.

He missed the 2010 Built Ford Tough Series events because of it. In 2011, he had surgery to repair a ligament and tendon in his elbow. The next year, he tore the MCL in his right knee. In 2013, he had ACL surgery on his left knee. Then he tore a ligament in his thumb and tore his PCL in his left knee in 2014. Sometime in the middle of that, he also cracked his jaw.

This year, he lacerated a lung and was coughing up blood as he left the arena.

But despite all the injuries, Dirteater is back and better than ever, having his best season yet, with three event victories this year.

He’s seventh in the world standings and sixth in the World Finals standings after turning in an 87 on Friday at T-Mobile Arena.

He’s 3-for-3 in the World Finals, as he posted an 86.75 on Wednesday and an 86 on Thursday.

“It’s been a long road of ups and downs, but I’m back at it and doing pretty good now,” Dirteater said.

Though the injuries might seem like a lot, he acknowledges they’re part of the sport.

“I try not to keep track of (them) because I just try to forget about it. Forget about the past, prepare for the future and live in the present,” Dirteater said. “But there are injuries in this sport. … The fear is there. You just can’t think about it (and) just try to do your job.”

On March 5, he picked up his first event win since 2011 at the Phoenix Invitational. Before this year, he had one event victory each in 2009 and 2011. He added another event win in April and one in September.

From 2012 to 2015, he had 12 top-five finishes, but first place had eluded him.

“I’ve always finished in the top five, won second a handful of times, but never did win one again, and this year in Phoenix I finally one won. It was a relief there,” Dirteater said. “It’s pretty neat to win one in one year, but to win three is awesome. It’s a great feeling.”

Dirteater, 27, has earned more money this season than any other at $193,357.95.

“I’m going to try to get all I can because it’s a young man’s sport, and I’m 27,” he said. “Only got a few years left. I’m just trying to win all I can.”

He said he didn’t think anything had really changed for him this year, instead seeing the rewards of hard work and sweat paying off.

“My mentality has probably gotten better, just physically and mentally, it’s improvement through the years,” he said. “I’m maturing, and it’s just all the hard work finally paying off.”

He’s also spent the year relatively healthy, with the exception of the lacerated lung, which he suffered in early August in Santa Barbara, California.

He also dealt with a concussion in October.

But though all the injuries he’s suffered, he never lost his drive.

“I’ve never lost that fire in me, especially after sitting out that long and seeing all my buddies going good, it made me want to get back and crave it more, and I just kept working at it, at physical therapy and just wanting to be back, and that dedication really brought me to where I’m at today,” Dirteater said.

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.