Bull Wreaks Havoc After Escaping Ring At Oregon Rodeo

Rodeos tend to feature plenty of controlled chaos due to the unpredictable nature of the animals that serve as the main attraction, but things escalated very quickly during an event in Oregon over the weekend after a bull managed to leap out of the ring.

Last week, Sisters Rodeo kicked off a five-day affair in the Oregon town that lends its name to a spectacle that manages to attract thousands of visitors each year who are drawn in by what is marketed as the “Biggest Little Show in the World.”

The rodeo features a wide array of the kind of events you’d expect to find at that kind of gathering, including steer wrestling, barrel racing, and, of course, the bull riding where participants are tasked with hanging on for dear life while riding atop a solid ton of angry muscle.

The riders who are brave enough to take part in that last event (as well as the wranglers tasked with corralling the bulls) know there are plenty of risks that come with stepping into the ring with those massive beasts. Spectators, on the other hand, don’t usually have to worry about the same pitfalls while watching from the comfort of the stands—but there are some very notable exceptions to that rule.

We were treated to one of them thanks to what unfolded at Sisters Rodeo on Saturday night while the crowd was singing along to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” only for things to take a shocking turn when a bull that was trotting around the dirt arena managed to leap over the seven-foot fence en route to sparking an incredibly chaotic scene.

 According to The New York Times, spectators were urged to seek higher ground as the bull ran through the rodeo grounds. It was eventually captured, but not before it managed to injure three people (two of whom were hospitalized before being released)—which presumably includes the unsuspecting bystander who was launched into the air and briefly trampled by the animal.

The trio of injured bystanders are all expected to make a full recovery, and the final day of the rodeo went off without a hitch on Sunday.