Bull hops fence at Oregon rodeo, injuring 3

A rodeo bull jumped a fence around an Oregon arena and ran through a concession area into a parking lot, injuring at least three people before handlers caught up with him, authorities said.

The sold-out crowd at the 5,500-capacity Sisters Rodeo in the Sisters City sang along to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” on Saturday night, most with their cellphone flashlights on, as the bull I ran around the arena in front of what was happening. it would be the last ride of the night, when the bull jumped the fence, according to video filmed by a fan.

Other videos posted online showed the bull running through a concession area, knocking over a trash can and sending people running. The bull lifted a person off the ground, spun him end to end, and ricocheted with his horns before the person fell to the ground.

The Sisters Rodeo Association issued a statement Sunday saying three people were injured “as a direct result of the bull, two of whom were transported to a local hospital,” the NBC affiliate said. KTVZ-TV reported. Rodeo livestock professionals trapped the bull near the cattle pens and placed it in a corral, the association said.

Sergeant Joshua Spano with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said multiple ambulances were called to the scene. Deputies transported a patient with non-life-threatening injuries to a hospital, and a deputy also suffered minor injuries while responding to the escaping bull, Lt. Jayson Janes told KTVZ on Sunday.

The Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District told CBS News on Sunday that all of the injured have been released from the hospital. The most seriously injured person was released early Sunday and was able to participate in the site’s “buckaroo breakfast,” which took place today from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. local time, the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District said.

Danielle Smithers stood among the rodeo fans with her cell phone flashlight on as the bull called the Party Bus moved through the ring with two riders on horseback as the crowd sang and swayed to the music.

“And about 30 seconds later I stopped and looked at it and thought to myself, ‘This is too beautiful not to have a video,’” Smithers said. She turned off her flashlight and “started recording the bull, just following him, doing his loop and when he started doing his second loop on my video, he went over” the fence, she said.

“I capture him going completely through the gate and disappearing,” she added, according to the CBS affiliate. KOIN-TV. “Then there is a big pause in the area where he left. It seems like people go back to shaking the lights, almost as if they’re not sure what to do.”

Sisters Rodeo spokesperson Brian Witt told KOIN, “We were able to open the right gates so the bull could exit the spectator area and then it was restrained immediately thereafter.”

“We avoided everything we could, but we just couldn’t stop a very athletic bull from jumping an eight-foot fence,” Witt said. “It’s very rare. It rarely happens. But it does happen”

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association said Saturday’s incident is a reminder that “although rodeo is a highly entertaining sport, on very rare occasions it can also pose some risk.”

“The PRCA sends our thoughts and best wishes to those who were injured or otherwise affected by this frightening and very rare incident,” the association said.

Sisters Rodeo officials could not be reached to ask if an investigation is planned.

The final performance of the 84th Sisters Rodeo on Sunday went ahead as scheduled.

Sisters is about 23 miles northwest of Bend, Oregon.