World Champion John Crimber Returns to Competition Following Injury

World Champion bull rider, John Crimber, suffered a groin injury on June 30th while competing at the Greely Stampede. Since that injury, he has been absent from competition in order to mend and recover. Crimber even withdrew from competition in Cowboy Christmas, a highly anticipated competition run for PRCA athletes.

However, John Crimber returned to competition for the opening of the 2026 PBR Teams season, riding with the Florida Freedom in Fort Collins, CO. Crimber was unable to secure a qualified ride on day one, leaving some fans wondering If his healing injury was providing him with a slight disadvantage. However, those questions were quickly silenced by his 91.90-point ride on Dirt Honey to close out the Bulls and Beats event at Colorado State University.

This ride was able to help secure the first game win of the 2026 season for the Florida Freedom team. Overall, it was a great weekend for John Crimber’s return to competition. However, it is still unclear when Crimber will return to PRCA competitions.

When he originally withdrew from Cowboy Christmas, many fans speculated that his rest was a calculated one to place his return to competition exactly where it ended up: at the 2026 PBR Teams season opener. As a seasoned PBR rider and son of a PBR champion, Crimber clearly carries a love for this competition circuit, so prioritizing these competitions is far from shocking. However, John has also made it no secret that he is trying for the NFR in his PRCA Rookie season.

Crimber currently holds the No. 7 PRCA position, meaning he comfortably holds a ticket to the NFR as he is well within the top 15. However, with the summer rodeo season in full swing, there is a lot of opportunity for riders to advance in the standings, potentially pushing John Crimber out of his qualifying slot. Crimber himself was quickly climbing the charts before his injury, so it’s doubtful that he’s unaware of how quickly his world standing could change.

Therefore, it’s likely that John Crimber will return to PRCA competition within the next few weeks, especially as the next PBR Teams event is slotted to begin on July 31st, giving him ample time to ensure his injury continues to heal well so that he’s ready to go back to dominating the scoreboards.

Overall, fans are thrilled to see their champion back in the chutes. This cowboy can’t be kept down for long, and if his 91.90-point ride is any indication, he’s happy, healthy, and ready to get back to doing what he does best: riding bulls.