USA rodeo bull hops fence at Oregon arena, injures 3 before being captured

The crowd at the 84th Sisters Rodeo in Sisters, Oregon sang along to Lee Greenwood’s song God bless the USA on Saturday night (Sunday AEST), most with flashlights on their mobile phones as the bull ran around the arena.

Before what was supposed to be the last bull ride of the night, the bull jumped the fence, according to a video shot by a fan.

Other videos posted online show the bull running through a concession area, knocking over a trash can and sending people scrambling.

The bull lifted a man off the ground, spun him end over end, and threw him off his horns before the man fell to the ground.

The Sisters Rodeo Association released a statement Sunday saying three people were injured “as a direct result of the bull, two of whom were transported to a local hospital,” KTVZ-TV reported.

Rodeo livestock professionals secured the bull to the cattle pens and placed him in the pen, the association said.

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Sergeant Joshua Spano said several ambulances were called to the scene.

Deputies transported one patient with non-life-threatening injuries to a hospital, and a deputy also suffered minor injuries when he responded to the bull’s escape, Lt. Jason Janes told KTVZ Sunday.

Danielle Smithers was among the rodeo fans with her cell phone flashlight on as the bull named Party Bus rode around the ring with two riders on horseback as the crowd sang and swayed to the music.

“About 30 seconds into it, I stopped and looked at it and thought, ‘this is too beautiful not to have a video,'” Smithers said.

She turned off her flashlight and “started recording the bull, just following him, making a lap, and when he started to go around his second lap in my video, he goes right through” the fence, she said.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association said Saturday’s incident was a reminder that “while rodeo is a very fun sport, on very rare occasions it can present some risk.”

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

Officials from Sisters Rodeo could not be reached to ask if an investigation was planned.

Sunday’s final rodeo performance went on as scheduled.

Sisters is about 24 miles northwest of Bend, Oregon.