The doctor is in the house

It's the final night of competition at Clearwater's 54th annual Big Rodeo.

Dr. Melissa Heithold pulls into Gene Snodgrass Arena, parks her vehicle and unloads the three young cowboys - her sons Blake, Travis and Austin - who were buckled in the back seat.

"They're mutton busting tonight."

Once the youngsters have grasped on to a sheep, are being tossed into dirt and receive a buck and candy coupon from the rodeo queen, Heithold transitions from mom mode to doctor.

For approximately a dozen years, Heithold has kept stock used in the competition healthy and ready for performances.

She is no stranger to the rodeo arena. Melissa Thiele grew up on a farm a few miles outside Clearwater. During rodeo weekends, she watched saddle broncs, barrel racers and bullriders compete in the Clearwater arena.

"My brother, Curt, asked me to come back and do it. I'm happy to help out," she said.

Heithold always knew she would to be a veterinarian.

"It's the only thing I ever wanted to do," she said.

After graduating from Clearwater Public School in 2001, Heithold attended Wayne State College.

She applied for a position at the Wayne Veterinary Clinic, but no positions were available.

She didn't give up. A year later, she tried one more time and there was an opening. She worked there until she earned an undergraduate degree.

Heithold attended Iowa State University to earn a doctor of veterinary medicine degree and returned to the Wayne Clinic.In 2002, she became a part owner of the Wayne Veterinary Clinic, joining partners doctors. Mark and Lauri Zink.

"I do large and small animals, kind of everything. Just a general practitioner," she said.

As the rodeo's veterinarian, Heithold is on call in case an animal is injured.

"Horses are accident prone, so make sure you're ready if anyone needs stitched up. Livestock, if they have any problems, at all, I'm available," Heithold said. "Most of the time I'm hoping I don't have to treat anyone while I'm here, because it's usually not good."

Heithold estimated only a handful of times she needed to assist an animal during the rodeo.

Once, she treated a colicky horse and, on a few occasions, she has treated horses experiencing exertional rhabdomyolysis, a muscle syndrome, also known as tying up, which causes a horse to become stiff. Other symptoms include sweats and reluctance to move.

"Otherwise, I get to come and watch and be a fan. Then again, I'm always ready just in case."

She packs everything she may need for the worst-case scenario: fluids, IV line, catheters.

"It's all the little things you might not think of. It's pretty amazing, though, the rodeo community. Everybody's willing to help out, too. A lot of times, if somebody has something going on, they're asking those around them about it, too."

She credits the Clearwater community and chamber for continuing to make the rodeo a priority.

"It's amazing to see how well they put it on, all the hard work that goes into it. It's just so smooth. It's nice to be a part of it," she said.