DISLOCATED knees, a fractured jaw and broken ribs haven’t stopped Ben Jones in the past. It seems the humble bull-rider from Goulburn has finally met his match.
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Jones last week had 60 per cent of his spleen removed when admitted to hospital in Texas with severe abdominal pain.
The surgery has sidelined the 33-year-old from the US circuit and ruled him out of the Brendan Clarke Invitational in Sydney on July 20.
Doctors expect Jones to be competing again in six to eight weeks. Unsurprisingly, he’s vowed to return to top form.
The lure of a potential milliondollar ride in Las Vegas this October is too great to ignore.
Jones needs to saddle back up and notch some rides if he’s to vie for a place in the World Series Final in Nevada – where a sevenfigure sum of money awaits the winner.
“[The spleen’s] still a long way from my heart,” he wrote on Facebook soon after surgery.
“I’ll be back stronger than ever.”
Returning to a sufficient physical state is half the battle. Jones needs to overcome a mental hurdle too.
His admission to hospital followed a mishap in a round of the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series in Idaho last month.
Jones suffered the abdominal injury when stepped on by leading bull Old Soul.
A glance at social media indicates Jones is back on track – both mentally and physically.
“I jump out of bed and say it’s going to be a great day,” he wrote on Facebook.
Although determined to scale the heights of Las Vegas, spleen surgery has forced Jones to knife plans of an Australian return.
His presence at the Brendan Clarke International – an Olympic Park event that’s set to attract riders from Canada and the United States - will be missed.
“Ben’s one of our biggest drawcards,” PBR Australia general manager Glen Young said.
“He’s one of the most animated bull-riders on the tour and he’s also one of those really likable guys.
“There’s a huge following that comes from the western suburbs and from Goulburn just to see Ben.”
Young’s monitored the rise of Jones, from NSW country rodeos to New York’s Madison Square Garden, with interest.
He knows the Aussie cowboy can come back – and claim top prize in Vegas on October 27.
“He’s been tagged over there (in the US) as one of the toughest riders on the planet,” Young continued.
“He’s competed with dislocated knees so bad that he’s needed help to walk out of the stadium… And he’s ridden the unrideable.”
Jones’ cult following is as much to do with his post-ride celebration is at his ability. He was dubbed ‘Dancing Jones’ within months of joining the Built Ford Tough series circuit in 2008.
“Not only do they want to see Ben Jones compete, they want to see him dance,” Young said.
