Steamboat Pilot & Today

If you name the injury, saddle bronc rider Michael Sisk said, he has sustained it.

Broken arms, legs and collarbones often are standard fare during a rodeo cowboy's career. So are concussions and stitches. "I've been hurt so many times, I have aches and pains every day from rodeo wrecks. That's the price," he said.

Sisk also sees the healing side of the sport as an orthopedic surgeon who fills in on occasion as one of the volunteer doctors for the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series.

For the past 10 years, Steamboat has provided free medical care for cowboys who pass through each summer. Yampa Valley Medical Center donates two athletic trainers and a group of nine doctors volunteer their time.

At each rodeo, one trainer and one doctor are working.

Headed by Bryan Bomberg, the group includes Lambert Orton, John Lupori, Dave Wilkinson, Mark Hermacinski, Jeanne Fitzsimmons, Greg Sarin, Thomas Fachtleben and Sisk.

The doctors come from a variety of fields encompassing internal medicine, emergency medicine, orthopedics and plastic and reconstructive surgery. But all the doctors have a background with urgent care, Bomberg said.

According to professional rodeo statistics, almost 50 percent of major rodeo injuries occur to bull riders and almost 24 percent of all major injuries to bareback riders. The most common rodeo injury is a concussion, followed by shoulder fractures or dislocations and chest or rib fractures.

It's common to see minor injuries -- sprains and strains -- in every rodeo. There are a handful of major injuries every season, Bomberg said.

Having doctors on hand for the rodeo can give peace of mind to those competing.

Bomberg said cowboys have an aggressive schedule, traveling from rodeo to rodeo for weeks at a time all over the West.

"It really helps them to find a doctor," he said.

Keeping cowboys healthy is an important part of the job. Rodeo is a pro sport in which the athletes get paid only when they win and they can only win if they compete. So there is a reluctance to sit on the sidelines when bodies ache or stitches hold cuts together.

"They'll get knocked out cold turkey and might be entered in the rodeo the next day," Sisk said.

Bomberg said cowboys could be reluctant to listen to the advice to hold off on competing. It's part of the culture, he said.

"Not competing for medical reasons is poorly accepted. Part of the environment is to try to compete regardless," he said.

And even if the cowboys don't always listen, Bomberg said, doctors will continue to volunteer.

"Most of us enjoy doing it," he said. "It is giving back a little bit to the community."