By Phillip Kitts

With most of America fighting off the winter blues and setting their sights on the warmth of spring, the rodeo world is already heating up. It is often common chatter about how the rodeo world really does not have an off season. In October when the regular season wraps up, it is not even a week before rodeo athletes start running to fall rodeos so they can start building up money toward the next year’s finals. It is true that fall rodeos do not have big payouts, but many athletes take the every dollar counts approach and throw several of them on the calendar.

November and December may be the slowest months of the rodeo year, but believe it or not, there are still plenty of places rodeo athletes can go and earn a small check. Traditionally the number of rodeos in the winter months is lower, but the few events that do happen tend to have big payouts. Pretty much every rodeo fan knows all about places like Denver, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Rapid City. These are all big scale events with huge payouts.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR Magazine. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

By Krista Lucas Wynn

The American rodeo may look a little different in 2023. Entering its 10th year, the event was purchased by the new western industry company Teton Ridge in 2022. Teton Ridge is quickly becoming a name in rodeo, reining, cutting, and barrel racing. The American rodeo will now include a full weekend of competition from top rodeo, reined cow horse, cutting, and reining athletes. The event will be called The American Western Weekend, conducted March 8-11, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Fans are used to the usual layout of a qualifying system with a semifinals at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, leading up to the main event at AT&T Stadium, where the top 10 from the world standings await. New for 2023, contestants entered qualifying events, in hopes of moving on to three regional finals. The Central regional finals are held in Tulsa, Okla., Feb. 3-5, East regional finals Feb. 8-10 and the West regional finals in Heber City, Utah, Feb. 16-18.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR Magazine. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

By Dr. Garrett Metcalf

The digital flexor tendons are one of the most important anatomic structures to a horse. The flexor tendons support the weight of the horse by suspending the lower limb in an upright proper position.

All tendons connect to muscle and the flexor tendons are used to flex the lower limb as well as support great loads when working or landing off of a jump. Disruption or injury to any one of the flexor tendons can result in abnormal locomotion, lameness and pain. This article will discuss the options of repair for lacerated flexor tendons and long term outcomes.

Lacerations are a common injury for horses especially in the lower extremities. These lacerations will often require an emergency visit from veterinarian to assess the severity of the injuries. The exams will often involve examining the proximity of the lacerations to joints, tendons or tendon sheath structures. Lacerations that occur on the back part of the limb are always a great risk to involve lacerations to the flexor tendons.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR Magazine. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.