Want to be rodeo cowboy? Better be able to say "aw shucks, it wasn't nothing."

And even more importantly, be able to live it.

Taygen Schuelke, a high school cowboy from Newell, is a perfect case in point. On July 10, competing at the Boss Cowman Rodeo in Lemmon, Schuelke took a nasty fall while bull riding, it is one of his favorite events though he is also an excellent saddle bronc rider and roper.

"I just kind of got bucked off and landed on my head," said Schuelke. "Bent it down a little bit, but it was nothing much really, no big wreck or anything. I just lit wrong I guess."

The epitome of cowboy toughness, Schuelke, the 2008 National Wrangler Junior High School Rookie of the Year and a qualifier this year for the High School National Finals, didn't think too much about it. And despite some pain, chose to ride the following day at a 4H rodeo in Buffalo. A little bull riding and bronc riding later, the pain had grown considerably worse.

"I got through the day OK but then it started to hurt really bad," he said. "I went to the ambulance there at the rodeo to have it looked at, and they told me that I better get a CAT scan. So I drove to Sturgis to have that done, and they didn't think too much of it at first, but when they did the CAT scan they found a vertebrae was broken."

Fortunately for Schuelke, the son of Darin and Jean Schuelke of rural Newell, the injury should heal completely, with benefit of a neck brace, some painkillers and a period of relative inactivity as recovery time," he said.

"It's been pretty sore but it's getting better. I have to wear a neck brace to hold my neck still for about six weeks. I really haven't had any injuries before, just some bumps and bruises, so this is pretty frustrating."

In addition to rodeo activities, an activity enjoyed by the whole family including older sister Lacey and younger brother Lane, Schuelke also participates in football and wrestling at Newell High School where he will be a sophomore this fall.

"Playing football depends upon how I recover," he said. "Maybe toward the end of the season I'll be able to get back out there. And I'm hoping to be back come wrestling season though I will have to see how it heals."

The worst part for this cowboy is missing the High School National Finals Rodeo which is under way in Farmington, N.M.

"Not being able to go to the nationals really stinks. Being a part of the South Dakota team and getting to hang around with all of your buddies is part of what makes rodeo so special," he said. "That would have been a lot of fun. But I have next year to be able to go again so that helps to make it a little easier to take."

As to Schuelke's plans for the future, as befits the mindset of anyone willing to risk the eight seconds of their life by climbing on the back of a thousand pound rank bull, there isn't a doubt.

"Oh yeah, I will want to keep on bull riding. I will be back and hopefully be stronger and practice a lot and be even better."

Spoken like a true cowboy.