Effect of experience on rodeo injury

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Occupational Health
• Injury Epidemiology

Background:

• Professional rodeo involves high-risk rough stock events.
• Understanding injury patterns in experienced versus inexperienced competitors is crucial for safety.
• Previous research has not comprehensively compared injury rates across different experience levels in Canadian rodeo.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare injury rates, severity, and relative risk between experienced and inexperienced rough stock competitors in Canadian professional rodeo.
• To identify specific body parts at higher risk for injury in different competitor groups.
• To inform injury prevention strategies in rodeo.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study conducted over five competitive seasons (1995-1999) in Canadian professional rodeo.
• Data collected from 63 rodeos, representing 30.8% of all performances.
• Injury data (severity, body part) recorded by certified athletic therapists for registered contestants present during official Canadian Professional Rodeo Sport Medicine Team services.

Main Results:

• Inexperienced competitors exhibited lower overall injury rates and lower rates of severe injuries compared to experienced competitors.
• Inexperienced rough stock competitors showed a higher incidence of injuries to the hand, wrist, and forearm.
• Relative risk of injury for novice saddle bronc and novice bareback riders did not differ significantly from their experienced counterparts, but boys' steer riders had half the relative risk of bull riders.

Conclusions:

• Inexperienced rodeo competitors do not face increased rates of severe injury or general body part injuries compared to experienced riders.
• A notable exception is the higher rate of arm, hand, and wrist injuries among inexperienced competitors.
• Boys' steer riders demonstrate a significantly lower relative risk of injury compared to bull riders.