Rodeo bullfighter airlifted after being battered by bull

Pelvis broken in stomping

A bull fighter was airlifted from the Stony Plain rodeo grounds Friday night after getting caught and tossed by a bull.

But the young man in his early 20s will fight again, rodeo officials say.

“He’s in hospital with a broken pelvis and stitches, but he’s going to recover,” said Bev Giles, promotions manager for the Kinsmen Rodeo.

The incident happened at about 9 p.m. Friday during a bull-riding event.

The young man was one of three people who rushed into the ring after a cowboy was thrown. His job was to distract the bull long enough for the cowboy to get back on his feet and run to safety.

“They are there to save the cowboys. These guys, they need to be nimble footed,” event chairman Mike Mccullough said.

“He lost his footing. The bull turned left when he thought he was going to turn right. It was an accident. These bulls, they’re big, but they’re fast and they can turn on a dime. It happens so quickly.”

Giles, who saw the accident happen, said the bull caught the bull fighter “right under the chin” and tossed him.

The man was cut across the throat, thrown and knocked unconscious. The bull started trampling him, but the clown, the second bull fighter and several cowboys who leaped the rails came to help. They managed to distract the bull enough to save the man’s life.

“The bull did give him a couple of good stomps,” Giles said.

STARS responded directly to the rodeo grounds.

The injured bull fighter regained consciousness as paramedics were taking him to the helicopter.

“It was very serious to be honest with you,” McCullough said.

“We’ve never had an incident like this before.”

McCul lough said the injured man had been working rodeos for at least two to three years.

Most bull fighters are hobbyists, who have day jobs and work rodeos for fun.

McCullough couldn’t say if this bull will be used again this weekend.

“The bull is the bull, and the bull is just doing his job.”