Bull rider, 24, trampled to death in 'freak accident' at rodeo event: 'Deeply upsetting to all of us'
A 24-year-old bull rider died Thursday after he was thrown off a bull in the second round of an event in Wharton County, Texas.
"The PRCA would like to send its thoughts and prayers to bull rider Dylan Grant's family, friends and the entire rodeo/bull riding community after Grant passed away after suffering injuries Thursday night during the Wharton County Youth Fair Xtreme Bulls event in Wharton, Texas," the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) said in a release.
Grant, who started bull riding in 2018 and had been riding professionally for a year, was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
The 24-year-old Laramie, Wyoming, native competed in multiple ProRodeo and Xtreme Bulls events throughout his riding career.
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He had won $15,710 in bull riding in his career, including $3,760 this season.
Grant also competed for the University of Wyoming rodeo team in college and won the bull riding title at the Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo in 2021.
"What happened to Dylan was deeply upsetting to all of us at the PRCA," a spokesperson for the organization told Fox News Digital. "Fatal injuries in rodeo are extremely rare, and our focus right now is to offer comfort to Dylan’s family and to everyone in the rodeo community who was affected by this unfortunate incident.
"The PRCA has procedures to review all serious incidents to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our contestants and animals. The outcome of that review may determine that financial fines or expulsion from future competition is necessary. We just don’t have those answers yet."
Grant's father, Wade Grant, told ABC News, "He got his neck stepped on. He ran out of the arena and straight to the ambulance with these injuries, but Dylan was double tough."
Wade called the incident a "freak accident."
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"You’re just going to pull a lot of tears and heartache. He was just built with kindness," he added.
Grant’s family told ABC News he knew the dangers of riding and wore a hockey helmet and Kevlar vest every time.
Rodeo podcaster Kendra Santa mourned his loss on social media.
"Our rodeo family lost a talented young cowboy last night," she wrote. "Wyoming bull rider Dylan Grant was stepped on at the Wharton County Youth Fair Extreme Bulls in Wharton, Texas. Medics worked on the 24-year-old University of Wyoming graduate at the scene.
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"Dylan was then life-flighted to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston, where he was pronounced. There are no worthy words of sympathy at a time of such profound shock and sadness.
"Love and prayers for Dylan’s family and friends from every single one of us."
Another bull rider nearly died last month when he was gored in the neck by a bull at an event in Florida. Zachary Naegele is expected to make a full recovery and plans to keep competing.