Cowboys from California and across the nation maintain a passion for rodeo, which involves getting hurt. That is where the Justin Boots Sportsmedicine Team comes in.

"In today's modern world of high-end sports and athletics, everybody is trying to get the upper edge on the competition, and we can do things to enhance performance that rodeo athletes haven't had in the past," said Rick Foster, Justin Sportsmedicine Team program manager. "These guys are what we call rodeo cowboys, but really they are rodeo athletes. The cowgirls and cowboys--the more (physically) fit they are the better they will perform. Today's rodeo is not something where you could be a part-time hand and just come off of the ranch and compete at the level that they are now."

The Justin Sportsmedicine Team evolved from a concept of a mobile medical practice envisioned in 1980 by sports physician J. Pat Evans and physical therapist Don Andrews. Today Andrews is chief executive officer and president of Mobile Sports Medicine Systems Inc. of McKinney, Texas, which operates three 40-foot-long mobile sports medicine trailers that are hauled from one rodeo to another. Justin Brands, based in Ft. Worth, Texas, became the organization's first and only sponsor in 1981 as a way for the boot manufacturer to give something back to the rodeo athletes who have been buying the company's products for so many years.

This innovative sports medicine system links a network of selected emergency physicians, orthopedists, trauma specialists, physical therapists, athletic trainers, as well as hospitals and clinics around the nation to staff the trailers and provide comprehensive medical services to professional rodeo contestants at arenas where they compete nationwide.

Although the Sportsmedicine Team does not attend every rodeo, it covers more major rodeo events in California than in any other state except Texas. During its initial year of operation, the team treated 775 contestants at 10 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association sanctioned rodeos. The Justin Sportsmedicine Team now typically treats about 6,000 injuries at more than 125 PRCA rodeos annually.

"We've had broken bones and some pretty serious contusions. We've also had some lower-extremity muscle sprains and wrist sprains that are so bad that they swell up. We are trying to treat them so we can get them back out there to compete," said Foster, while applying adhesive tape to a rodeo athlete during the California Rodeo Salinas. "One reason is the stock is bred to buck harder, so the level of competition on both sides is very strong. That makes it imperative for rodeo athletes to be 100 percent physically fit to perform well."

The Justin Sportsmedicine Team consists of a staff of 15 people encompassing doctors, athletic trainers, physical therapists and some administrative staff members. Most of them have been involved in practicing sports medicine in various contact sports, including hockey and football. At rodeo events, team members work closely with local emergency medical services units that provide ambulance crews. Together, they are prepared for the worst.

"It is key that we see the injury occur, we have an immediate response, immediate diagnosis and then an immediate treatment regime begins. That all happens in the golden hour of medicine, which means if you get to the injury in the first hour, you are going to have the advantage. We can even narrow that down to 15 minutes," said Andrews, a former athletic trainer for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. "We determine if a patient needs to be transported or (given) treatment. That gives us the leg up on the next 24 hours. Hopefully, we can reduce that severity of injury and the time that it is going to take to recover."

Reducing recovery time for injuries is critical to rodeo athletes, Andrews said, because they have no guaranteed contract. They are not paid if they don't perform, so they need to return to competition as quickly as possible, within the bounds of safety.

"Our primary role is to provide the same quality of elite medical care that is common in other major sports--the NFL (National Football League), NBA (National Basketball Association), NHL (National Hockey League). Most of us have been there, we know what it is like in the big leagues," Andrews said. "Rodeo competitors are professional athletes. They are very conditioned and tuned in their own right."

The Justin Sportsmedicine Team routinely opens its doors about two hours before the start of the rodeo to treat competitors for any pre-existing injuries and help them prepare for that day's performance. The team can treat minor injuries such as strained muscles, scrapes, and cuts and bruises, or serious injuries, including bone fractures, deep lacerations and head injuries.

When treating a severely sprained ankle, for example, the team also explains to the competitor how the injury could affect performance in upcoming rodeos. Treatment could consist of ice compression, elevation or electric muscle stimulation. The team also recommends exercises that may help to heal the injury. The team performs all treatments free of charge to contestants.

Bullfighters make up less than 1 percent of the population of the professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, yet they account for almost 10 percent of the injuries the team treats. Rodeo clowns have the highest injury ratio among all rodeo performers.

Rodeo clown Matt Lucking from Arizona confirms that Justin Sportsmedicine Team takes care of him and helps him stay in rodeo. He expresses gratitude for the medical treatment he received after a run-in with a bull that cost him the tip of one of his fingers.

"The tip of my finger was sliced off on a Wednesday afternoon. It was stitched up Wednesday night. Justin made a special cast for my hand and I was fighting bulls by Friday," Lucking said. "If it wasn't for Justin... " he said, with his voice trailing off. "They look after us so that we can make a check."

Calf roper Luke Garrett of Bakersfield agrees.

"Without Justin you'd have a lot of guys rodeoing hurt. These guys (Justin) help us get by," Garrett said. "A football player gets hurt and he is still going to get his money. If we don't win, if we don't perform, we are not making money. We still have expenses, so they help us out a lot and keep us going, keep us on the road."

Bull rider Tommy Rice from Fairfield is participating in his fifth year in rodeo and says all of the bumps, bruises and sore muscles are worth it because he loves rodeo.

"There's no other reason to put yourself out on the line like that every time if you don't like doing it, that is for sure. Even a mediocre bull ride, you get off of your bull and the crowd is excited, it sends your emotions through the roof and you just get pumped up with them. So it is the excitement, it's everything," Rice said.

Matt Austin, a 22-year-old bull rider from Texas, is following in his father's boots by competing in rodeo. He realizes that staying in shape is the only way to stay riding.

"My dad is 48 and he was a rodeo cowboy. He is in pretty good shape. We try to eat as healthy as we can and I work out when I can," Austin said.

In recent years, rodeo competitors have adopted a few items of protective equipment that give them some measure of safety while taking on saddle broncs and 2,000-pound bulls. Andrews said the best overall piece of protection for competitors, introduced about 12 years ago, is the protective vest, which has prevented numerous major and life-threatening injuries. Mouth guards and helmets are also in use as protective gear. The helmet, although a much tougher sell for the traditional felt hat-wearing cowboy, is increasingly being accepted.

"The individual athlete has to adapt to wearing a helmet. Neither vest or helmet are required, but almost all bull riders and the majority of the bareback and more than half of the saddle bronc riders wear the vest, but not the helmet. The helmet is going to be a slower issue," Andrews said.

Still, rodeo performers are yielding to technology and medical science.

"Rodeo used to be about a bunch of rowdy guys who drank a lot and rode bulls and broncs. Now they are athletes," said Scott Houchin, a paramedic with the Salinas Emergency Medical Service and a member of the California Rodeo Salinas' medical committee.

(Christine Souza is a reporter for Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.) 
Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.