"Battle Scars" of Rodeo Stars

If you've been out to the International Finals Rodeo this weekend, you know that it's fast and sometimes dangerous.  But unlike some of the more obvious injuries we expect from the sport, there are a few lesser known "battle scars" that come from roping and wrangling.

"I'm pretty injured.  I've got a pulled groin and a hurt thumb, but winning always makes it feel better," said Shane Rickley.

Thumb loss is a occupational hazard of team roping- an event where two riders work together to tie steer.

"The rope's got to be tight in the process of doing that.  It dropped over my  thumb and just pulled it right off," Rickley said.

Losing a thumb while team roping is a well-known injury in the rodeo world, but for AJ Horton, who has both of his thumbs, it's nothing that could stop him from doing what he loves.

"It's not something we really think about. I've never personally thought about it," Horton said. "In order to finish my job I have to use my hands and sometimes they get put in bad spots."

Horton says steer are not as big as they used to be and medical technology is better, making the missing thumb a little less common these days.

"If you're a team roper, you can pick older team ropers out because there is a chance one of them will be missing a finger," he said.

Tom Schick is another thumb-less cowboy.  He says he lost his thumb about ten years ago.  For Schick the injury is a badge of pride, but still require adjusting.

"I have to learn different ways of doing things. I have to rope different, you cant text,  you miss every other letter," Schick jokes.

The Rodeo continues Sunday at the State Fair grounds."Battle Scars" of Rodeo Stars

Posted: Saturday, January 19 2013, 10:32 PM CST