Less than three years ago, PRORODEO saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley faced the most serious injury of his career. While competing at the Greeley Stampede in Greeley, Colo., on June 25, 2023, Crawley was pinned against the chute. A burst fracture of T12 and damage to T11 and L1 resulted in a surgical spinal fusion of T10, T11, T12, L1, and L2.

After battling through a lengthy recovery, given the grim prognosis of likely not riding bucking horses competitively again, Crawley’s healing impressed even the doctors. Crawley had to give it one more shot, so he rode a handful of practice horses and felt his back could handle competing. By the end of 2024, he was riding professionally again.

Crawley is a legend of the event, qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo 10 times in a row (2011-2020). He has finished inside the top 50 (and inside the top 30 in all but one of those years) every year since 2021 except 2024, when he was recovering.

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The 2015 World Champion and two-time NFR Average winner kicked off 2025 with checks at some of the lucrative winter building rodeos. His back continued to hold up to competition and Crawley headed into 2026 with a lot of momentum.

The 2026 Season

Crawley began the season with a successful showing at the Texas Circuit Finals and earned checks at several early-season Texas rodeos. A Round 1 win at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo brought even more promise to the new start. An 86-point ride on Dakota Rodeo’s Smarty Pants set Crawley up to come back to the Semi-Finals at one of the richest winter rodeos.

In Round 2, a saddle bronc rider’s worst nightmare came true for Crawley. He was paired up with New Star Pro Rodeo’s True Grit, a young horse that has been making a big impression on the professional rodeo circuit.

A misstep resulted in True Grit falling on his shoulder, then going end over end, and ultimately rolling over the top of Crawley. As if the incident was not dramatic enough, Crawley realized his outside foot was hung up in the stirrup. When True Grit got back up, Crawley was suspended upside down for a few jumps.

During one of those jumps, True Grit’s foot came down on Crawley’s back. Luckily, it did not directly hit his spine, but to the left of it, otherwise the story may have ended very differently. The impact broke the ends off two vertebrae that had been previously fused. Crawley will need roughly six weeks to heal and recover.