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Rodeo: Lee Graves going for stem cell treatment Bruce Campbell/OWW

Black Diamond steer wrestler Lee Graves, here pulling down a steer to win the 2010 Calgary Stampede, plans to go to the Cayman Islands for stem cell surgery for an injured ankle.

A former Calgary Stampede champion from Black Diamond may be heading down to the Cayman Islands to invest in his future.

Black Diamond steer wrestler Lee Graves plans to have stem cells injected into his injured right ankle during a procedure in the Cayman Islands, rather than having surgery in order to get back on the rodeo circuit as quick as possible.

I hurt it at a rodeo last fall and they did a scope on it and there are some pretty good cysts on my ankle, Graves said. Im missing about 15 per cent of my ankle joint. Thats quite a bit missing from an ankle.

The process is called the Regenexx-SD procedure.

All your joints must be working when you are jumping off a horse at a near gallop and then braking while trying to wrestle a 400-pound steer to the ground.

I have blown my knee out twice, he said. Theres a lot of force on your lower limbs because youre going at a high-rate of speed and pushing on your feet trying to control 400-pounds.

Hes done well digging in his heels to pull down a steer. The 40-year-old Graves is a two-time world champion and has won the Canadian championship five times.

He is the first Canadian steer wrestler to earn more than $2-million in his career. He went over that mark when he won the 2010 Calgary Stampede.

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