ProRodeo Sports News - January 11, 2019

Injured cowboys now on mend after Wrangler NFR RecoveryTime

INJURY STATUS Number of treatments at the Wrangler NFR the past four years.

of an overall soreness from hitting it hard and fast,” Foster said. “Then they get used to the pain and the adrenaline gets going.” Some of the injured competitors at the Wrangler NFR couldn’t finish the 10-day rodeo. By the final round, there were only 12 bareback riders competing, as Ty Breuer, Will Lowe and Bill Tutor were out with injuries. Bull rider Trevor Kastner also missed some action, as did bullfighter Nate Jestes. TY BREUER Breuer entered his fourthWrangler NFR with his right (riding) elbow already banged up. His Round 3 ride made matters worse. His brace wasn’t on tight enough and his elbow got over-extended. Breuer was knocked out of competition during Round 9 when he sprained that elbow on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Jason’s Pride. “I kept riding, but it was making the bottom of my hand numb and I couldn’t lift on my riggin’,” Breuer said.

• 2015 – 543 • 2016 – 534 • 2017 – 582 • 2018 – 657

BY MATT NABER G ambling isn’t limited to the casinos in Las Vegas. Every time a cowboy enters theThomas &Mack Center, there’s a chance he could win big or go broke, sometimes with serious injuries. The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo’s $10 million payout creates the highest stakes of the season, motivating ProRodeo’s best athletes to push their limits in pursuit of the world title. Broken bones, concussions, stitches and more are all part of the sport. There were 657 treatments for 45 athletes during

Number of treatments for the season over the last four years.

• 2015 – 1,200 • 2016 – 1,300 • 2017 – 1,437 • 2018 – 1,541

the 2018Wrangler NFR. Fortunately, the Justin Sportsmedicine team was on hand to tend to the world’s top cowboys. Cowboys can sway the odds in their favor by keeping ahead of injury with a combination of medical treatment and physical health. As in past years, the Justin Sportsmedicine crew at the Wrangler NFR consisted of 25 medical experts floating in and out with about a dozen on hand for each perf. “We’ve been doing really well over the last five years because we have consistent quality staff and the athletes are more aware of being fit and in shape while here (at the Wrangler NFR),” said Rick Foster, ProgramDirector for the Justin Sportsmedicine team. The number of treatments at the Wrangler NFR has increased in recent years, rising from 543 in 2015 to 657 in 2018. “It’s not that more guys are getting hurt, it’s just better record-keeping and athletes realizing they can get better quicker by treating little injuries,” Foster said. “They’re more aware that the physically better they are, the better they perform.” The number of treatments each season also has increased, rising the past four seasons from 1,200 in 2015 to 1,541 in 2018. “The guys are in as good of shape as ever, but the animals are better and the competition level is higher,” Foster said. The most treatments came during Rounds 8 and 9 during the 2015 and 2016 NFRs, respectively. Then in 2017 and 2018 it was Rounds 4 and 5, respectively. “Rounds 4 and 5 are when it’s more

Trevor Kastner suffered multiple injuries when he was bucked off and stepped on by United Pro Rodeo’s Meeko in Round 6. The Oklahoma cowboy was kept out of competition for the remainder of the Wrangler NFR. PRCA ProRodeo photo by James Phifer

ProRodeo Sports News 1/11/2019

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