A bull rider was injured Saturday evening during a competition in Fremont, one of the show’s organizers said.
The rider appeared to have been kicked or stepped on when the bull bucked him off near the chutes at Christensen Field Indoor Arena about 8:10 p.m., said Lt. Kyle Woodgate of the North Bend Volunteer Fire Department, which was on duty at the Fremont Bull Riding Classic.
The rider, believed to be 19 years old, was taken by medical helicopter to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. His condition at the hospital was not immediately available.
He was conscious and talking at the arena, Woodgate said. The man’s injuries included cuts and scrapes to his face and upper body and possibly more serious injuries, the fire lieutenant said. The rider had been wearing a helmet and face guard.
The two-night bull riding event, which has been held annually in Fremont for 24 years, concluded Saturday. The contest paused for about 20 minutes Saturday after the injury, while paramedics tended to the rider and until another ambulance arrived from North Bend.
Paramedics took the bull rider by ambulance to a nearby soccer field where the helicopter could land.
No one else was reported to be injured in the incident.
Over the years, other riders have been injured during the Fremont bull riding competition, but those injuries were relatively minor and have included a broken bone, the organizer said.
