Ian Molan on Top Rail at the Darwin PBR Touring Pro on May 25. (Pic: Rock2Sea)

Bull rider Ian Molan has wasted little time in getting back into the saddle after a nasty fall last weekend.

After being knocked out cold, trampled by a bull and badly bruised all over in the first round of the Darwin Professional Bull Riding (PBR) competition last Sunday, the brave Corkman hasn’t hesitated before getting back in the ring to ride a second bull.

The ambitious 24-year-old was awarded a second ride after the bull did not perform to the standard required in PBR competitions, but didn’t make it into the championship round.

Molan is currently suffering from injuries including cracked ribs, a sore jaw and cut legs but insists he has no qualms about continuing his quest to become a world class bull rider.

“I kind of got hung up on the bull and then knocked out,” he told the Irish Echo.

“I’m a bit sore now but I’m okay. I rode the next night after it happened. I think I have a couple of broken ribs. My jaw’s painful and are so are my legs but I’m fine.

“I’m back at Richmond now because we have a couple of bulls here so I’m just putting them in the yard.

“I didn’t want to waste any time before I got back out there because I only have a couple of shows left to try to qualify.  There’s a big cup series coming up so I didn’t want to miss out on that.

“I was meant to be taking part in a competition next weekend but I’ve decided to pull out of that to recover,” he added.

Molan comes from a farming background in his native Carrigaline in Co Cork and believes his experience working with horses has been a great asset to him.

While his family are proud of his sporting achievement they remain anxious about his safety.

“It’s something different, they were nervous at first but now they think it’s great.

“But they see that it’s not just a laugh or a joke or that. I’m on a sports visa here in Australia at the moment and I have one year left on that.

“If I can’t stay on here then I’ll probably head to America.

“I’ll see how it’s going and see how long I can keep riding injury-free before I give up.”

Molan is now based in Richmond but first came to Australia as a backpacker three years ago and worked on cattle stations in Queensland.

It was through that work that he was introduced to various bull riders who set him on the path of bull riding.