A professional bull rider named Dylan Grant died after sustaining injuries at the Wharton County Youth Fair Xtreme Bulls event in Wharton, Texas last Thursday (Apr. 3.) He was 24 years old.
According to a statement from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Grant was competing in the second round of the event when he was bucked off a bull.
After that, he was trampled by the bull, according to an interview his father Wade Grant gave to ABC News the following day.
“He got his neck stepped on. He ran out of the arena and then straight to the ambulance with these injuries,” Wade recounts in the emotional interview. “But Dylan was double tough.”
The rising cowboy was airlifted to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston, where he died.
“What happened to Dylan last night is very, very, very, very rare. It was a freak accident,” his dad went on to say, adding that Grant always wore a Kevlar vest and a “custom-made hockey helmet” as a safety precaution when riding.
“You’re just gonna pull a lot of tears and heartache,” Wade added, speaking about his family’s loss. “He was just built with kindness.”
According to the PRCA, Grant first got his PRCA permit in 2021. He competed in multiple events throughout his young career. He earned $15,710 at rodeos over the course of his career, including $3,760 this season.
A native of Laramie, Wy., he was a graduate of the University of Wyoming, and competed for the school’s rodeo team. There, he won the bull riding title at the Mountain States Circuit Finals in 2021.
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Speaking to Fox News, the PRCA said that Grant’s death was “deeply upsetting” to the entire rodeo community. “Our focus right now is to offer comment to Dylan’s family and to everyone in the rodeo community who was affected by this unfortunate incident,” the statement reads.
“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,” it continues. “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.”
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
