While I was home for the Christmas holidays, a few things changed and I also learned a few new things. One night while visiting the Jones family at their home in Delburne, AB, I realized something that was pretty obvious but I didn’t fully understand until that night. What happened was that while we were talking about the rodeo and all the things that happened last year, we came to the topic of fitness and how it affects us as rodeo participants.
Fitness-wise, most of us are pretty fit when we start our rodeo careers. Starting the rodeo can be much more difficult when you are not physically fit. Once you discover a system, it becomes much easier. I see that more young participants will be more successful in the rodeo in the future when fitness, flexibility and good nutrition are valued more deeply. The different transitions also play apart.
The biggest thing I’ve seen in some tough competitors I’m friends with is when they stop being a part of organized sports. I know when I made the most money riding bulls it was only a month after I was on the ice three times a day playing hockey and in the gym on days off. It was easy to do this at the time. I remember being able to do 15 pull-ups and 30+ one-leg squats like it was no big deal. The other day I tried it, and I could barely do six pull-ups, and my knee hurt doing regular squats.
A big difference related to being physically fit involves flexibility and simply being able to be more resilient.
Guess when I started getting injured? Not long after I finished playing hockey. Anyone looking at it from the outside would notice it. He took me breaking my collarbone and dislocating my shoulder a couple of times to see for myself. For some, it could just be motivation. They think they can get by without going to the gym and just being a cowboy, or being tough about it. Even if you are in good shape and in top physical condition, it is possible to get hurt. The truth is that when you are in good shape, your mind is also in a better state. With all cylinders running at 100 percent, your chances of getting hurt decrease; therefore, increasing their longevity in the sport.
Being physically fit is a big part of our sport. And physical fitness involves other aspects like chiropractic treatment and massage therapy. Both help keep you at your highest fitness levels. Chiropractors have been the most helpful I have come across so far. I dislocated my shoulder on June 19, 2009 in Killam, AB and with the help of my chiropractor I was back to 100 percent riding on July 3 in Brazil. However, this was no ordinary chiropractor. If you are looking for someone who can help you in this way, you need to find a chiropractor who does Active Release Techniques (ART).
ART helps you quickly regain strength in muscles that were previously injured or strained from previous trauma. A chiropractor who is qualified to use Graston tools will also be of great benefit.
After the first round of the 2009 WPB Finals, Miles Pennington found himself unable to straighten his back when walking or bending forward to put on shoes or boots without experiencing severe pain in his lower back.
He contemplated going out because he knew that if he went up there was a very good chance he would probably fall and possibly hurt himself more. She made the decision to seek help and find treatment so she could ride the next night. With the help of chiropractor, Dr. Nicole Fox of Red Deer, Alberta, on New Year’s Eve, Miles was able to compete; he even rode his bull that night at length and took home some money.
Although I am a bull rider, health is my number one value in life. Without health, I believe that a person would not really have anything else worthwhile in his life. Now you could say that being a bull rider and having health as your number one value are contradictory values. I see that this is perhaps somewhat true; however, being a bull rider is hard on your body at times, but that’s part of the game. I see riding bulls as a way to live my life on my own terms. There have been times when I have thought about doing things differently. When I think deeply about it, I think more about what really worries me and I realize that a person can get hurt anywhere.
We, as cowboys, are our own bosses. Unlike other professional athletes, we do not have athletic trainers by our side at all times of the day to attend to every complaint and pain. We may have things that bother us and we don’t do anything about it because we don’t have time, or just don’t have time to fix it. Some people think that the way forward is to get up and deal with the pain. I love being a cowboy and a bull rider and I would say I am both. I would also say that I am an athlete. However, since we don’t have coaches waiting for us like other professional athletes in sports like hockey or soccer, we have to take matters into our own hands.
There are rodeo cowboys who take care of themselves and then there are those who don’t take care of themselves. We can all make our own decisions at the rodeo. We don’t have a coach or boss telling us what we should and shouldn’t do, what we should and shouldn’t eat or drink, and whether or not we should go to the doctor when something might be wrong.
The ones who take care of themselves are the ones who most of the time progress in the sport. I’ve seen a few different people in my short career have to quit because they didn’t take care of themselves when they were my age or younger. You are the controller of your own destiny, the decisions you make ultimately help to follow the course of your life. You can live it however you want.
This article is my opinion. I am writing to let you know some of the things I have learned that I think will benefit you. I hope you enjoy reading my articles. I sure enjoy writing them and listening to some people who have helped me.
