What it means to be cowboy tough

Watch a bucking horse try to throw off the Millarville, Alta., native and it's clear what he means by that.

It's why the four-man Canadian Professional Rodeo Sport Medical Team is one of the busiest teams you'll find at the Calgary Stampede. Walk by their office -- conveniently located beside the cowboy dressing rooms at the back of the rodeo grounds -- and the activity never stops.

"It's constant," says Mark Lafave, president of the crew that consists of two athletic therapists, a chiropractor and a massage therapist.

"We've seen rib injuries, shin injuries, calf injuries, neck injuries, and lots of serious bruises. Some of these guys have been stepped on. But for the most part these are all old injuries, so we're doing lots of back and neck adjustments, lots of taping, massaging."

The Stampede is also equipped with on-site physicians and EMS. Lafave's team is charged with taking care of all the non life-threatening cases.

He says they haven't seen any major broken bones yet. The worst injury: steer wrestler Lee Graves popped a joint in his ribs during practice. And he's still competing.

"These guys are tough -- too tough for their own good," says athletic therapy coordinator Brandon Thome. "It's a special breed."

"These cowboys will fight through pain to the point that it's detrimental to their bodies," adds Lafave. "They take it to the edge, and we're here going, 'Okay, let's bring it back a little.'"

Before he started with the rodeo scene, Lafave worked with the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers. "Those guys are okay tough, but nothing compared to the cowboys."

The interesting part is that while other professional athletes need to be cleared by a doctor to compete, medical staff at rodeos can only make medical suggestions. It's up to the cowboys if they want to listen.

Kelts grins when asked if he's ever gone against a doctor's recommendation.

"Yeah," he says. "I think probably every contestant has at some point. But I mean, if we don't get on, we don't get paid. So if we're capable of doing it, we do it."

Hence why he once rode broncs with a cast on his right wrist (bronc riders hold on with one hand and the other has to remain free).

"I switched hands and rode with the other hand for a while," he says. "I had the cast on the other wrist so I couldn't really use that. Had to switch."

In 2003 and 2006, Kelts was sidelined by injuries to his right shoulder and had to miss parts of the season. That's when you know it's really bad. But never once has he thought about calling it a career. 

 "It's what I've always wanted to do. It's a real thrill to ride broncs," Kelts says. "And it sure beats having a real job."