A Description and Analysis of Injury and Exercise in Collegiate Rodeo Athletes

Rodeo constitutes an exciting sporting spectacle enjoyed worldwide by competitors of all ages. College rodeo encompasses nine core events: bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, team roping, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, goat tying, and barrel racing. There is little research on rodeo athletes regarding training habits, injuries during competition and/or practice, or effective injury prevention strategies. The objectives of this study were to 1) characterize the injury profile of collegiate rodeo athletes, 2) describe training practices, and 3) determine if demographic or training factors influence injury risk.

Demographic, injury, and training data from 71 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association members was collected via a SurveyMonkey survey. Data was analyzed to determine any association with injury risk, utilizing an ANOVA test for continuous categories and chi-square test for categorical variables.

Competing in "roughstock" events (bull riding, saddle bronc riding, and bareback riding) and wearing protective equipment were associated with increased injury risk. Injuries mirrored previous studies of contact sport athletes. Student-athletes spent most of their training in activities directly related to their event but also engaged in exercise not related to their event for a considerable amount of time each week.

Rodeo competitors constitute a versatile athletic cohort at high injury risk. These findings further define the injury profile of collegiate rodeo athletes and, for the first time, describe their training habits. This information will guide event preparation and rehabilitation of injured rodeo athletes.