COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — You see the cowboys, you hear the cheers. But behind every ride, there’s a team you don’t see, the ones keeping these athletes on their feet.
"We go to 100 rodeos a year, so we wouldn't be able to keep going if it wasn't for these guys," said Jade Taton, a bareback rider who depends on the Justin Boots Sports Medicine Team to stay in the saddle.
The Justin Boots Sports Medicine Team travels from rodeo to rodeo, treating everything from sprained ankles and minor cuts to dislocated shoulders and torn muscles. In an arena where the only way to survive is to heal fast, this team has become an essential lifeline.
"With bareback riding, and when you watch that, it's from the wrist to the elbow to the shoulder to the neck," explained Rick Foster, program manager for Justin Sports Medicine.
Bareback rider Kody Lamb knows that reality all too well.
"I mean, a couple of years ago, I tore my pec off in Lovington, and I showed up two days later in Castle Rock. Chad advised me I should not be getting on, and I had to take that advice. It wasn't the advice I wanted at the time, but I ended up having to go home and have surgery for that," said Lamb.
These riders don’t have the luxury of an off-season. For them, missing a ride means missing a paycheck.
"If they don't get on or they don't rope, they're not getting paid, and they're paying entry fees to be here. So, we try to do everything we can to make it safe for them to compete," said Dr. Jason Mogonye, co-medical director for Justin Sports Medicine.
"So, these guys, sometimes they get fit, and then they stay in shape because they're riding so much. They might be riding five or six times in four days, which is a lot of abuse on the body. If you notice, there's a lot more tape on the bareback riders," added Foster.
For this crew, every night means ice, bandages, and a little hope.
"I just needed a new wrist pad. I had wrist surgery a few years ago, and it (was) kind of just from it breaking over too much. I have them build me a pad that way it keeps it held up, doesn't break over too much, and tear everything out again," shared Taton.
The Justin Boots Sports Medicine program began in the 1980s, and for many cowboys, it’s the only healthcare they trust.
"I've got Jason's number and a few of these guys’ numbers, Chad's number, and I'll call them or talk to them pretty regularly if I got something going on. They'll make sure we're good to go," said Taton.
This is a job that takes a special kind of dedication and a whole lot of heart.
"My parents both rodeoed. I saw what it was like when somebody didn't get good care going down the road when they rodeoed," said Justin. "When I became a doctor and I found out about Justin Sports Medicine, I was like, 'Yeah, that's what I want to do.'"
While these competitors are going up against horses weighing over 1,200 pounds or bulls that can top a ton, the Justin Boots team is always ready to pick them right back up.
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