Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/489418
t m c » p u l s e | a p r i l 2 0 1 5 18 They're not going to sit there and get their arm ripped out of the socket and ruin their entire career over one eight second ride." Still, the possibility of an emer- gency remains a primary concern throughout the three weeks of competition. "There's always an opportunity for mass trauma," said Jace Duke, manager of athletic training for Houston Methodist and vice chair- man of the RodeoHouston Sports Medicine Committee. "You've got two athletes competing against each other and one of them out- weighs the other by a couple thou- sand pounds. We've been relatively lucky here not to have anything too bad, but we're always on the edge of our seats." For rodeo athletes, some of whom spend months on the road, staying healthy is essential. Other professional athletes—football, baseball, soccer players—are under contract and still get paid sitting injured on the sidelines. In rodeo, not competing means no paycheck. "These guys will ride with broken bones—they will come to you and say, 'Look, put a cast on my arm, I'll ride with a broken wrist' or 'Can you brace up my knee enough to go out there?'" said Sitter. "There does come a point—and it happens occasionally during the rodeo—that a guy gets hurt bad enough for us to basically say, 'Look, you can't go in.'" "Having a comprehensive medical team at a rodeo like we have here in Houston enables the rodeo athlete to speak with a variety of medical professionals and make the best decision regarding their health," said Duke. "It is our goal for them to leave Houston healthier than when they arrived." Bareback rider Steven Peebles, who has competed at RodeoHouston six times, called the clinic setup in Houston a "lifesaver." Peebles, 25, from Redmond, Ore., spends months out of the year traveling the rodeo circuit, competing in about 75 rodeos per year. Though most provide medical assistance, not many offer the level of care available in Houston. "I love it. It's saved my life a thousand times," he said. "I've had a lot of injuries in the past and they're always here to help us get ready to get on and get our muscles warmed up and when we're done, they're here to ice or pop joints back in." For the volunteers like Sitter, McCulloch and Duke, helping the rodeo athletes is a pleasure that brings them back to NRG Stadium year after year. The rodeo sports medicine team spoke highly of the athletes, commending their positive attitudes and perseverance. "They are young, tough, hard- as-nails kids, but they are the most polite people you'll ever meet," said Sitter. "They're always very, very thankful for just anything we can do for them." Though the professional rodeo stars are certainly one of the biggest draws of RodeoHouston, not far from the stadium where those ath- letes compete for a nearly $2 million purse, a smaller crowd gathers each year for a gentler rodeo. Over the past 27 years, the Lil' Rustlers Rodeo, held by RodeoHouston's Special Children's Three to four athletes receive X-rays each night They are young, tough, hard-as-nails kids, but they are the most polite people you'll ever meet. They're always very, very thankful for just anything we can do for them. — TIMOTHY SITTER, M.D. Orthopedic Surgeon at Houston Methodist, Lead Orthopedic Surgeon for the RodeoHouston Sports Medicine Team Stripping chute worker Michael Ondrusek, left, consults Patrick McCulloch, M.D., a Houston Methodist orthopedic surgeon.