Rough stock Rodeo Athletes and Protective Equipment

Rough stock Rodeo Athletes and Protective Equipment

In rodeo, there are three types of athletes: ropers, barrel racers, and rough stock. Rough stock athletes include bareback riders, saddle bronc, and bull riders. These three are self-explanatory considering they have the word “rough” as the label for their events. Rough stock or “Roughys” put their bodies on the line to last eight seconds to earn  a judge appointed score. They ride either bucking broncs or bucking bulls weighing at over a thousand pounds or so. If you have ever watched these events in particular bull riding, you may see one or two guys wearing helmets. Have you ever thought why they don’t wear helmets? There are some factors that come into play as to why rough stock riders don’t wear protective equipment. The most common reasons were related to performance. One rider wrote, "The weight of the helmet affects my ability to ride..." Another rider commented, "A helmet weighs more and impairs your vision and range of vision."1 Other important reasons were related to appearance or persona and comfort. "Not cowboy" and "I'm a cowboy and I wear a cowboy hat" illustrate comments made by several of the respondents in this study.1 Mouthpieces often are forgotten or lost, but they also are uncomfortable for many riders. The high usage of vests may be related to the perception that vests are required. Vests are less visible than helmets and may be seen as appearance-enhancing. Equipment design is the other broad category of reasons why athletes do not use the equipment.1 Several of the cowboys commented that the helmet was heavy or restricted sight. Others reported that the weight of the helmet made their necks hurt when the horse bucked. One rider stated that the helmet gives him "whiplash" when he rides. Several of the cowboys surveyed admitted that appearance was at issue; with one cowboy stating the hat "looks better for pictures" when asked why he did not wear a helmet.1 Hockey might be a more apt comparison. Helmets were a sign of weakness, even among some goalies, before Bill Masterton, a player for the Minnesota North Stars, died of a head injury in 1968. Soon, stars like the Blackhawks’ Stan Mikita wore helmets. In 1979 the N.H.L. required incoming players to wear them.2

References

1.      Ross, D. S., Ferguson, A., Bosha, P., & Cassas, K. (2010). Factors that Prevent Roughstock Rodeo Athletes From Wearing Protective Equipment. Current Sports Medicine Reports (American College Of Sports Medicine), 9(6), 342-346.

2.      Branch, J. (2009). Bull Riders Start Trading Hats for Helmets. Retrieved February 29, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/10/sports/othersports/10helmets.html?_r=0