Back-to-Back Still the Goal – Nick Tetz Focused on Comeback

AIRDRIE, Alta. – In bull riding, they say it’s not if you get hurt—it’s when.

While many injuries are minor bumps and bruises, others can end a season, or a career.

Reigning PBR Canada Champion Nick Tetz suffered one of the sport’s more serious setbacks two weeks ago at the PBR Unleash The Beast event in Palm Springs, California.

During his attempt aboard a bull called Regulator (Humpz & Horns), Tetz was thrown to the ground and quickly showed signs of being in significant pain.

“Yeah, it wasn’t really much of a wreck,” Tetz said. “My hand hung in the rope when I got bucked off. I landed like a turtle on my back with my legs up, and the bull stepped on my right leg down by the ankle and shin—but it was his hock that snapped my left femur. He didn’t even hit the left leg directly. I couldn’t tell right away if something was wrong, but pretty soon I realized it was snapped.”

Tetz was examined by PBR’s Medical Director, Dr. Tandy Freeman, who is also an accomplished orthopedic surgeon, and underwent surgery the following morning to repair the broken left femur.

As a member of the Arizona Ridge Riders, who he was representing in a PBR Teams rivalry game matchup, Tetz was quick to acknowledge the organization’s outstanding support—from surgery to hotel stays to ensuring he and his wife Mady got home safely.

“The Ridge Riders were absolutely unreal,” Tetz said. “They made sure Mady could get down there, got her a hotel, and then covered a hotel for us both for the whole week while I had to stay in Palm Springs. They went above and beyond anything we expected.”

The support didn’t stop there. Within minutes of the incident, messages began pouring in from across Canada.

“By the time I got to my phone, I already had five or six people texting me with support, wishing me well and offering to chat if I needed to. That was within 40 minutes of it happening. It definitely meant a lot.”

Though the initial recovery timeline was estimated at six to nine months, Tetz is confident he can return in just four. Back home in Alberta, he’s focused on rehabilitation and strength training. 

Tetz says his fitness before the injury will be a major asset.

“The next few months will be a lot of physio and rehab. Luckily, Mady has her magna wave business, so as soon as the staples are out, I’ll be putting that on,” Tetz explained. “I’ve got my workout shed and all the gear at home. It’s typically three months for the bone to heal, and as long as things go well, I don’t see any reason I can’t be back in four. I’m shooting for the end of July or early August—but we’ll see. I’m not going to rush it. I’ll do it right. If it happens, it happens.”

Tetz still plans to stay involved with PBR Canada while recovering, possibly taking part in broadcasts and helping out where he can.

“I’m going to give Jason [Davidson] a call and see if there’s something I can do with the broadcast side of things. I’ll probably show up at a few events, and if some of the boys need help with driving or something, I might hop in the rig. But mostly, I’ll be keeping my head down and getting the work in. Plus, there’s a lot of stuff around our place that I can finish up.”

Despite the injury, Tetz hasn’t lost sight of his goal—to become PBR Canada’s first back-to-back Champion. And while this moment may be a setback, he knows the math, and the path, for a comeback.

“The comeback is the back-to-back,” Tetz said. “I was talking to Tanner Eno, and he said, ‘I think God just knew it was going to be too damn easy for you this year if you stayed healthy, so he had to take you down a peg to give everyone else a chance.’

“Your mind is powerful. The way you speak to yourself plays a big part in it. If you can control your words and thoughts and keep them positive and focused on your goals—those goals will come true. It might sound cocky, sitting here with a broken femur, but I’m still saying I’m going back-to-back. Somebody better start running away with the standings, because if there’s still five or 10 guys in it when I come back, I’ll be right back in the mix.”

Tetz expressed deep gratitude toward PBR, PBR Canada, the Arizona Ridge Riders, and especially his wife Mady for the support she’s shown in the past two weeks, from cancelling her own rodeo plans to handling the 30-hour drive home.

“She got to Palm Springs about 20 minutes before I got out of surgery. She just dropped everything and came. And when they told us I couldn’t fly, she drove the full 30 hours home from Palm Springs,” he said.

“I had people reaching out that I never expected. I joked with a few of them, saying, ‘Would you have called if it was just a broken arm?’ They said no. So to feel that level of support—it really does mean a lot.”