DAYTON, Iowa – There are no guarantees in rodeo. The contestants know it, but it’s the game they play.
Theirs isn’t a profession filled with million-dollar contracts or first-class hotels. Theirs is a sport where one must pay to play, where paychecks only come if a contestant rides better than most, where money earned not only pays bills but serves as points toward a championship.
It’s where injuries are iced during 12-hour drives to another rodeo and where the aches and pains are ignored because, well, there are no guarantees. If you don’t compete, you can’t win money; you can’t earn a living.
That’s where the Justin Sportsmedicine Team comes into play, offering the training methods and medical expertise to allow cowboys and cowgirls the opportunity to compete at the highest level possible. The program is funded by the Justin Boot Co. and has been for nearly 30 years. Aches and pains are part of any sport, but they’re compounded by the extreme nature of rodeo.
“I’ve worked with a lot of professional athletes in a variety of sports, and rodeo is definitely one of the toughest and most grueling on its athletes” said Mike Rich, the program’s executive director. “Most people who know rodeo will tell you (that) it’s not if an athlete will get hurt, but when and how bad. In addition, rodeo athletes are independent competitors, so they don’t have the luxury of a ‘team’ doctor or athletic trainer that travels around with them.
“The Justin Sportsmedicine Team has always done a great job of filling that void and bringing medical care to the cowboys; we’re just looking to increase the quality of that care.”
And that’s why the Justin Sportsmedicine Team will be on hand for the Dayton Championship Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3-Sunday, Sept. 5, and 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 6.
“By our rodeo, just that time in the rodeo season, the contestants are pretty beat up,” said Jim Heckman, president of the committee that produces the Labor Day weekend rodeo. “To have Justin here to help them with their bodies is a reason some of the cowboys are going to come to this rodeo that weekend.
“They know if something happens, they’ve got the best here to take care of that. We’re just honored to have the Justin guys choose Dayton as a stop.”
Of the nearly 580 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events each year, the Justin Sportsmedicine Team is at about 125. Making their way to central Iowa for the first time is a big deal to the committee.
“This means a lot to us,” Heckman said.
The program means a lot to the contestants who battle their way through the rigors of a rodeo season in an effort to make a living and win championships. They need all the help they can get, and they rely on the Justin Sportsmedicine Team.
“Having those guys at a rodeo is great,” said bareback rider D.V. Fennell of Neosho, Mo., a past Dayton Championship Rodeo champion. “You’ve got ice and tape, and if something’s really wrong, they can check that out. But at that point of the season, it’s more of maintenance, just taking care of your body.”
Fennell knows as well as anybody. At 37, he’s had his share of nagging pain and serious injuries. He has fought through them all, qualifying for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last season.
“Those bucking horses beat you up a little bit, then you get in the car and go for 14 hours to get to another rodeo,” Fennell said. “You get all tight, and they show you what you can do to stay loose.
“I get stretched out a lot, and they help you a lot. My groins get tight, especially this time of year, and they help me work through all that.”
The team is comprises of highly skilled physicians, athletic trainers, trauma specialists and physical therapists. They work in cooperation with experienced local physicians and medical providers to bring quality care to the rodeo athlete. And the Justin crew also has a database that they can utilize all season long.
“We have implemented ways, via the Internet, to document injuries and treatment protocols securely and in real time so the doctor or clinician treating an athlete at a rodeo in Denver on Saturday night will know exactly what the doctor who evaluated the injury the night before in Fort Worth saw in the X-ray, etc,” Rich said.
It’s just another facet of the continually growing care rodeo athletes receive.
“Justin Sportsmedicine is just a great asset for ProRodeo,” Fennell said.
