Those who watch rodeos understand the danger involved in the sport. The athletes are dealing with an unpredictability that can’t be measured. And when the animals involved have a competitive nature of their own, some of the most shocking injuries can result.
A prime example of the severity of rodeo injury is the death of Lane Frost. His life and times were adapted for film in the movie “8 Seconds,” immortalized by the very sport he loved. However, the number and severity of injuries in rodeo that have occurred to date, regardless of the changes that were initiated as a result of Frost’s death, have been tragic, to say the least. According to the media covering such events, the prospect of a change in these statistics isn’t looming. The Justin Sportsmedicine Team (rodeo physicians) has stated that of all rodeo injuries, those to the head and face lead the pack. Knee and shoulder injuries soon follow. In a 24-year span (between 1981 and 2005), a total of 5,038 injuries to the head, face, knees, and shoulders were reported as happening at rodeo events. And, yet, millions of dollars pour into the sport, and the athletes continue doing what they love for a shot at glory. Some of the largest and most anticipated of these events are held in Texas. Below is a list of the top three most shocking injuries in the sport.
1. 2007 – Tag Elliott at Days of ’47 Rodeo
Photo: stock photo (not portraying Tag Elliott) from Pixabay.com
Resulting from a ride he took in his second year of pro rodeo, at the age of 19, Tag Elliott had most of the bones in the right side of his jaw and face broken when his head collided with a horn on a three-time National Finals bull named Werewolf. He was knocked unconscious and spent several days in the hospital. After a year of surgeries, (including one that meant taking bone from his ribs to reconstruct his face), doctors discovered that no blood was flowing to the eye socket, cheekbone, sinuses, and jaw following reconstruction.
2. 2013 – Beau Schroeder at a Fort Mohave Classic Extreme Bulls Event
Photo: stock photo (not portraying Beau Schroeder) from Pixabay.com
During his ride, a bull by the name of 800 Night Moves threw Beau Schroeder into the dirt, trampling his chest with its hooves. His trachea was torn open, and he suffered two collapsed lungs. He was unable to talk, unable to walk, and could barely even breathe. He was hospitalized for eight days. Two months later he was back in the arena and back on a bull.
3. 2016 – Brady Jandreau at a PRCA Rodeo in Fargo, North Dakota
Photo: Facebook/The Rider
Inspiring the hit film “The Rider,” Brady Jandreau’s injuries were substantial when he was thrown from a horse, which then trampled him. Its hooves came down square on his head and, surprisingly, he remained conscious. He had skull fractures in three places and was placed in an induced coma which lasted for five days. When he came to, he had a metal plate in his skull which doctors had fused in place to repair the damage that had been done. He was also told that rodeo competition was no longer an option. One more head injury could prove fatal. His struggle and new-found inspiration can be seen in the movie adaptation, in which Jandreau plays the lead role as Brady Blackburn – a fictional version of himself.
