Ryan Hughes Update
Thursday, February 14, 2013 | 10:30 AM
Share
Comment
Email
PrintYesterday the following was posted on Ryan Hughes' Twitter account after Ryan suffered a big crash: "Ryan had a hard crash today and broke T3 & T4...he has movement and feeling everywhere, just waiting to find out if he needs surgery."
Today, Hughes posted the following on his Facebook page:
"Extremities are all moving with feeling !! That was the scariest thing ever ! Thank you for all your love out there - that was my last ride."
We'll keep you updated on this situation as more information becomes available.
Did you like this article?
Check out CAUGHT OUTSIDE
in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.
One of the most successful—and controversial—team managers of all time, Larry Brooks is looking to return to the races. Page 146.
Look for the verified symbol 
Impulse Studios
I can only imagine breaking your back...but a guy who has been doing it whole life, I just dont think it will be that easy to give it up...He's gotta stay involved in some capacity!! Not a lot of people are fans of 'Ryno' but I loved his hard charging style and never give up attitude. Maybe he just meant racing?!?!!
After a few days go by he'll start thinking about riding again.
Can't believe he will never ride again. Lot's of people have said that but VERY few don't.
Get well soon !
He has his buiness and family... I think it's the ultimate wake up call to finnally grow up ! It happens to all of us in some form or another..................Get well and Charge life !
Hey all I just logged on a bit ago been offline for a few days. Read my comment on the anouncement of his injury. I am not gonna type that again cause I have been through what Rhino is going through but that was in 1976?
Yes I would retire if it happened in my 30's but I was only 18 when it happened to me.
Everybody needs to just pray for him and his family. Remember, he has a wife and two kids. Some people may not like him for what ever reason, but he is a human being, and being in a hospital, not knowing the outcome, must be hard for some like Ryan, he has giving this sport 110 percent his whole career, more then I can say for riders these day.
I broke my c4-5-6 in 2001 and said the same thing but my dr. which didn't like that i rode dirt bikes told me in 2002 to put my halo in the closet and forget about it and go ride if i want,So thats what i did,Of course i'm careful about what i do! Get well Ryno we need you healthy so you can train your guys like you do!
Ryan, you're a stud! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!!
Why is everyone talking about the neck brace. Show me dr. Or anyone that say a neck brace will save you from a crash. There is no proof. Get of the neck brace, please. How many riders around the world, have been injured wearing the neck brace? What don't we hear about that?
Copy Off his Facebook Page :
As many of you may know, Ryan Hughes , fell victim to a bad crash at Pala Raceway yesterday that left him with a broken back. Doctors rushed him into emergency surgery last night where things seemed to have gone well and he is expected to make a full recovery. The entire staff at DR.D would like to wish a speedy recovery for "Ryno" on his road to recovery. We will continue to support him whether he is riding or not, his never give up attitude has made him a legend in this sport!
Everything is not ok with Ryan. That surgery was just release pressure on his back. He is going into surgery today, to get a rod in his spin. He is not out of the woods yet.
Let all just pray for him and his family today.
get well Ryan....if only more riders had your heart
You have the right to believe what you want too, but still is your choice to wear them or not to wear them.
At a time like this, I don't think Ryno is wondering about a neck brace. You guys never talk about the ones that have been hurt wearing them, because you don't want to hear that.
I became a Ryan Hughes fan when he raced Mike Brown in 2003 for KTM. Ryno cried on the podium, and I could see how much his heart was in racing. Plus he was constantly praising how good the other riders were around him instead of talking about himself. (He may have learned from Jeff Emig). That shows how humble a person can be and appreciates winning. When he broke his leg at southwick and soldiered on, I knew he was the most determined person on the planet.
I will bet he rides again.. Maybe not with as much aggression, but he is the last of a different generation. The Mike LaRocco/jeff stanton generation of tough guys that don't give up.. He is a self made man.
Ryan,
The thoughts and prayers of the many people you have met through the years
are with you now.
There is no doubt you have the strength and support to get through this. Find the positves.
JimM
Pala374
Just another note from another keyboard jockey, hopefully Ryan will heal up ok!
Praying for a full and fast recovery for you Ryan. Be Ryno strong and time will heal you.
Thoughts and prayers "Rhino", always wished I had half the dedication you do.Some good people on here, others I wonder about. I hope to see you on a bike again soon, for my benefit as much as others.
this is for mx323, if you dont care for Ryan that is ok, but dont call him names on here, keep that to yourself dickhead, god bless Ryan and his family, Im praying he make a full recovery.
i see him ride all the time... He rides as fast as he can on a mission ! The whoops he crashed in he didn't need to hit them so fast he wads up ! He needs to realize he's in his 40's.. If he really luv's riding he can tone it down a bit realize he doesn't have to win the title everytime he goes out on practice day's... I think he should still ride.. just tone it down & be smooth.
motoman88, you're the only one who called anyone a name. Disgusting.
@ Welker
Back in 76 I think Patty Page was your nurse to help you with that Woody problem !! LOL !
I say that every time I break something
Same injury as trey? luckily he has feeling and movement, his conditing probably saved him from not being paralyzed.
@Ryan: I do not know you, but of you, and all that you stand for in this small niche sport we find so much passion within. I am very sorry to hear of your injuries from this last go-round. If the information posted above is accurate regarding movement, that is a beautiful thing.
Collectively we will send as much positive energy your way that we can. Keep your neurosurgeon close by during these vital moments, and your family even closer.
All the best to you, Sir.
Appendages crossed in your favor...
323mx............motoboy88 meant......... dont say anything, not one freekin word, critical about the ryno. because he is hurt there can be no negative comments here............but saying you dont care for the bloke was way over the top..............i mean, to call someone a "bloke" is very offensive to some american idiots
is there any evidence that a neck brace would have prevented this injury ? no............it possibly could have maybe............ if you want to be prevent a fracture to your spine, there are two things you can do...........slow way down and ride very cautious, or sale your bike and become a spectator........
just another reason to look at safer track design.going bigger, jumping higher and farther is not safer. theres no room for error. fixing dangerous obstacles on the track, after someone gets hurt is negligent. riders must have a say in track design. stepping up and saying a track is dangerous mustn't be perceived as unmanly or weak. you may save a life and it could be your own. Track designers need to be more creative and safer.
negligent? really? and the bartender got you drunk too? schit man, individual responsibility ...... ever hear of that?
get well Ryno,, you can do it..just finished wathing the Robbie Maddison vid..that guy is plain insane..
i used to run a track......... and in the same day you would here riders say, " those are some big jumps out there". while others would say " when you gonna build these jumps up?" there is enough liability issues with out riders blaming the track for their injuries. read the release form, it says if you think anything is dangourous, then you should leave the property. negligent is a word that is defined by the psyche of the people........ and will be the death of extreme sports.
when the schit gets too big for me and the kids are jumping over my head.............thats when i go home and put my bike on craig's list....... pussie !
I think this comment line is getting out of hand, and @ MXBob It might have been Betty Paige I dunno, I do know that when I crushed my leg at Mosier Valley a lawyer came in to my hospital room and I told him to get the F%$^ out of my room before I get in trouble, ya I threw somthing at him but he got out!
Ya I had a few boo,boo's when I raced. I dont think it matters what you wear for protection, it is up to GOD if you get hurt. Then if ya wanna keep racing it is up to you. Ya I kept racing till as Windham said "I just dont feel it anymor" or somthng like that. All I know is after 27 plus years of racing I thought it was time to change. I still miss it and dream about it.
Let Ryno do what he wants non of us are him and yes he is a Legend.
ryno will ride again ill bet on that , this guys a badass right now he is freakin out so of course thats the first thing you say is im done. i think he will slow down a little and realize like the rest of us old guys theres more important things in life than being the fastest guy at the track. im 47 and i ride because i love it but i dont ride supercross and dont race anymore , get well soon ryno and keep it on 2 wheels
@Welker - None of these were comments were made by me.
LOL you forgot that pretend bob
All you f p out there talking shit about the Ryno, go home and f your self. He is a great racer nd will always be remembered for giving 110 percent at all times.
Out of respect perhaps we should remember that we are all a MX community and one of us is seriously injured. The thoughts and prayers of our family are with the Hughes family.
I can tell all of you I that I am very familiar with this injury. It is very painful because they will have to cut the muscles in his back to get to the spine. Then they will have to shred the meat off of his bones to be able to fuse his spine. The rods make your back as hard as a rock. Especially in the upper thoracic region. However, he is in better shape than most and should do fairly well. This is a life long injury that will never go away. If he was wearing a neck brace his injury could have been far worse or perhaps died. Especially if it was a rigid unit.
Rhino is one tough guy and I really admired his thoughness which helped me to be harder to myself in training sometimes,but he really should hang up his leathers.Normally, you are not so lucky two times. I would like to see him as a reporter at the races...
Mike Jones broke some vertebrae in his neck, had his neck fused, and was jumping again a month later. Hughes will be back - no pun intended.
From within the Hughes camp, Ryno is still in surgery as of 2.45 am pacific time.
We all need to keep praying for him and keep our fingers crossed.
Thank you
The call just came in, and Ryno surgery went good. The dr. Said he will be able to walk.
To all of you out there that have post all the kind words for Ryno and his family, thank you very much.
To all of you haters out there, you still can't break the Ryno.
Thank you to everyone.
@14U2C can you let me in on how you know " If he was wearing a neck brace his injury could have been far worse or perhaps died"?
Did you see the crash and how he landed?
Are you the typical idiot Ryno fan(Liberal), that buys into whatever comes out of the snake-oil salemans mouth?
Do not disrespect me like that. I am very close to the family, and his mother Cathy called me.
Pizza corner, you have been running your mouth for years. What is all this hate towards Ryan for.
Pizza corner, sorry about that, I thought you talking to me about how I knew his surgery went well.
But, can I ask you this please, why is there so much hate from you towards Ryan? Did he do something towards you or what? Weather you like him or not, at a time like this, don't you think it is bad to be saying stuff about someone that is hurt? Think about if it was your family going through what his family is right now, and someone like you we're talking all this hate to you. I am sure there r people out there, that don't like someone in your family, but talking all that hate when someone is down, is not very kind.
I hope to get a response from you please, and if your a man, let everyone in the world know why you hate him so, rather than talk all this smack.
Thank you
Always rubbed me the wrong way but I'll never forget the guy, after thirty minutes plus two, pushing his dead bike all the way up this finish line hill as bike after bike came flying by. He never quit. Ever. Get well soon Ryan!
For all you Ryno fans, I hope you read my last post, calling on the pizza corner guy to come clean and tell us all, why he is saying the things he saying.
We will see if he going to be a MAN, or just hide behind his computer .
Good Luck Ryan! You are one bad mofo. Miss not seeing you race..
Good Luck Ryno ... Much more to life than riding a dirt bike .. Here's to a full recovery
@pizzaface...some people on here might call you a prick. I won't because a prick is something useful. Rhino tells it like it is and I respect that. My post merely points out my experience. With this in mind, I think you should keep wearing your neck brace for the sake of everyone. I wish the very best for Rhino as I am a fan for sure!!
That's a fair enough answer. As far as smoking pot, you would be surprised at how many of the racers smoke pot. If the AMA would test these riders, like all the other sports do! We might not even have a main event on Saturday nights. That's why these guys get away with it.
I really appreciate your honesty. At least you say it like it is, rather than hide behind a key board.
Cheers
Sorry for the incorrect spelling with Ryno's nickname. These darn iPads have an automatic spell checker! Ryno will be sore for a long time....poor guy.
Your welcome, and fully understand what you say. I really think if the AMA would drug test these guys, the next main you and would have a shoot of winning our first super cross, because we would be the only to on the gate.
Haha
Wow, this has gotten kinda out of hand, especially for a guy laying in a hospital bed wondering if he's gonna be able to walk again. Show some damn common courtesy for god's sake. Doesn't matter who it is....talking trash about a guy literally while he's still in the hospital undergoing surgery for a broken back is a total chickensh*t move. Would anybody waltz into the place and say negative things to his face while he's laid up in the hospital? I highly doubt it. He's another human being for christ's sake. The callousness of people on message boards has really passed the point of no return. I should just stop reading them. Now, stretch out your typing fingers and start the flame-fest regarding my post. Have a great time while you're at it.
I don't know what your talking about buddy, so maybe you should go back read all my posts, before you start taking shit about me.
dude...you guys....I wasn't talking shit, I was trying to DEFEND you. Read my post again!! I was AGREEING with you...I'm saying people need to STOP talking all the shit, especially about somebody that just broke their back!! I'm giving you props for stepping up and calling out all the trolls!! Sheeesh!
Why is it got to be ? "That was my last ride"
I hope it isn't his last ride. My favorite Ryno moment: LaPaglia (not sure if I spelled that right) cuts over on him on the last lap. I'm sitting about ten feet away as Ryno pulls off after the race, LaPaglia rides by. Ryno calls him out on it. LaPaglia starts whining about how Ryno owes his Dad money or something totally not related to anything that actually happened on the track, Ryan just goes "whatever dude, I beat you by over 30 seconds anyways". LaPaglia, for some reason, decided to keep running his mouth. Ryan asked him if he wanted to start something. LaPaglia doesn't shut up. Ryan gets off his bike & walks up to LaPaglia, who decides to throw a man-slap/punch at Ryan. Ryno headlocks him and throws him onto the ground. Maybe I got the sequence a little wrong, not sure if there's video of it somewhere, but I loved it. NO, Ryno didn't start the fight. But he pretty much finished it.
323mx....no worries man, we need more solid folks around here like you & mxlazy!
Ryan is a smart guy and he may be realizing that at his age it may be best if he doesn't ride anymore. He may flip flop on this decision for a long time.. The fusion will always be a weak point in his back so why risk it? Doctors preach to everyone with serious injuries like this to stop riding, but when you are young and invincible very few listen. Some people tend to pay closer attention to the advice of their Physicians as they get older. He escaped paralysis... which is huge.... but next time he might not be so lucky. I have been through this and its very emotional. Especially when you love MX as much as we do. Since Monday is Presidents day lets celebrate it for Ryno....The President of MX..!! Who better?
I like Ryno. Good guy who like everyone, makes mistakes in life. Overall, he contributes a lot to the sport. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he rides again. 2003 was an epic battle with Langston and Brown. My favorite "The Great Outdoors" video season.
@doug148877, I think you have your facts wrong, which is surprising since you were seated “10 feet away.” The video clearly shows LaPaglia riding by and Ryno starting the talking. The majority of swear words bleeped out came from Ryno, Ryno got off his bike first and Ryno ended up in the headlock and on the ground. This is not the forum for your comment but if you are going to make such a comment, get the facts right. You can certainly watch the video at Vurbmoto.com. Maybe you can point us to where you were seated “10 feet away." Both guys were at fault. It happens in the heat of a race. It does not lessen my opinion of either guy for the incident.
Guys it does not matter what happend in Mamotha mountain last year. Both your stories are pretty damm close. The bottom line is we are all wishing Ryno a good recovery. Whatever he choose from this point on in his life, am sure he will give it 110 percent, just like he did in motocross for all these years. We need more people like the Ryno in this sport, not a bunch of babies.
Just got off the phone with the Ryno camp, he is alert, and doing good.
If you all want to hear something positive, he got his ass out of bed and already took a couple of steps with a walker. It has been less then 12 hours since he came out of surgery. He quote to Ricky Carmicheal, this is a maricle, people don't make it through something like this, but one has, thanks champ.
Ryno has along road to recovery, but those two steps already, has shown his determination to beat this crash.
Thanks to everyone for all their prayers and kind words over the last few days, it mean a lot to Ryno.
@mxlazy. Well put..!
Just got off the phone with Ryan's mom Cathy, he is in good sprits. He will get to see his kids for the first time in about 1 hour. If you all have tweeter, there is a photo of Ryno standing, taking about 2 hours ago.
Good job Ryno
In this beloved sports of our. things happen all the time. its just a matter of time. I just hope that Davi Millsaps can hold on and strecht the lead as much as possible
That would be great for Ryno, and his whole camp.
ok motoguzzi if a mechanic works on brakes for your car. you go to stop and you hit a wall and get hurt.is it a act of God, you knew the risks. or you child's car fails in a accident. you knew the risks,or an act of God. last one your driving you car down the road,due to the improper road construction you wreck your car an are injured. again is it you knew the risks and its a act of God.
My statement refers to, if pros are getting hurt frequently. then track building should be looked, to see how it can be improved and safer. look at the list of the who's, who getting hurt because of obstacles, not racing.
We need to police ourselves or the government will do it for us. Would you rather race a questionable track and be paralyzed for life, or a fun safe and challenging track for the rest of your life
Hammer, you are exactly right. Good point. I don't hear Ryno, saying it was the track, or someone told him to do this or that, or nor wear this or that.
I am close to the family, and nothing is 100 percent, but from what I am hearing from the DR. That worked on Ryno for two days, say a neck brace could of been worse. Nobody knows 100 percent, but Ryno is a very lucky person today. The DR. Did not think he was going to walk again. But we do not hear him blaming anybody or anything for this crash. He took it like a man, and thank the LORD, he is going to be ok.
All these people out there talking shit, and blaming him for someone else's crash, is just wrong. When you race motocross, you know and the parents know the danger of racing. If they don't want to get hurt, take up a safer sport, or join a Salsa dancing class, stop blaming other.
JonR- yes, so funny you mention the great outdoors 2003. My favorite video all time!!
The heck with the ditch weed, Ryan gets the real goods now!! Vicodin!!!
If ryno wants to send me his refill, i will pay a visit to pizzacorners house for him, and throw eggs at his house. Least i could do for vicodin!! Goodnthing ryan has abs, its constipation city fornthe next month