http://www.prorodeo.com/news.aspx?xu=504

Colorado Springs, CO (AHN) - Riders in the rodeo game not only have to worry about suffering injuries to themselves, they also have to keep the health of their horses in mind.

Barrell racer Shelly Anzick may miss out on an opportunity to earn her second consecutive entry into the Wrangler National Finals rodeo due to an injury to her horse.

Buster, Anzick's 11-year-old bay gelding, started to show signs of injury during the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo in Oklahoma last weekend. When Anzick took him to a veterinarian in Texas, she discovered that Buster had a hole in his deep flexor tendon of the lower ankle.

No surgery is required to fix the injury, but Buster will need a year to heal. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Anzick has already backed out of the next two rodeo events on the schedule: the Butterfield State Days in Bridgeport this weekend and the upcoming Mineral Wells Pro Rodeo.

"We had a couple of options (for a replacement)," Anzick said on Thursday, "but one of them got spooked during a storm a few days ago, climbed a panel and hurt a leg. The other horse that I was looking at as an option for NFR is also injured and may be ready until June."

The NFR provides a venue in Las Vegas for the top 15 competitors in the ProRodeo World Standings to battle it out for the $5.5 million prize.

Last year, Anzick finished fifth in the standings and put up a 12th place finish at the NFR.

She currently sits at 18th in the ProRodeo World Standings.