Bareback rider Cole Franks to be out until summer due to injury.
The rodeo road doesn’t slow down for anyone, and sometimes the toughest competitors are the ones fighting battles you never see from the stands.
Bareback rider Cole Franks has been dealing with a torn labrum within his left hip for a couple of years. Between the whirlwind of the NFR, a move, and preparing to welcome a baby, life has been anything but calm, but January 2026 proved to be the time to finally get surgery.
He admitted the injury had started to take too much of a toll on his riding, saying it had reached a point where it simply wasn’t manageable anymore. So, after a standout season and with a baby due any day, the timing finally made sense. If there’s ever an “off-season” in rodeo, this is about as close as it gets.
Franks underwent surgery at the Nashville Hip Institute with Dr. Byrd and his team. He unexpectedly also had to have a bone spur removed that was cutting off blood flow to the socket joint. What was originally going to be a couple months recovery, turned into four months.
For now, though, his focus is shifting from the arena to home. He’s stepping into one of life’s biggest roles—becoming a dad—while putting in the work to heal up the right way. It’s a different kind of toughness and it may pay off just as much as any big ride.
Franks said he’ll see everyone this summer, and if recovery goes the way it’s expected to, fans can plan on seeing a rider who’s not just back but better.