It ain’t easy doing rough stock. The riders of the hard knock hard-knock events that include bull riding, bareback bronc riding, and saddle bronc riding, all fan favorites, will put their bodies on the line when they compete at Dickies Arena for the Fort Worth Stock & Rodeo beginning Jan. 16.
According to a 2020 study published in the National Library of Medicine, rough stock riders account for 88.7% of all rodeo-related injuries. Despite being one of the world’s most dangerous sports, the cowboys continue to mount their bulls and broncs — whether saddled or not — with their minds on nothing but the clock hitting eight seconds. Such grit calls to mind a quote by writer Christopher Paolini, “A negative outlook is more of a handicap than any physical injury.”
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