Bull rider dies after injured in Texas rodeo event

A 24-year-old bull rider has died after sustaining injuries while competing in a rodeo event in Texas, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association said.

Dylan Grant was injured after being bucked off by a bull in the arena during the second round of the Wharton County Youth Fair Xtreme Bulls event on Thursday evening local time.

Medics rushed him into an ambulance where they began working to stabilise him. He was then taken by helicopter to a hospital in Houston, where he died.

The association sent its condolences to Grant’s family, friends and “the entire rodeo/bull riding community”, while loved ones mourned him on social media as a son, brother and friend.

Friends and family posted on Facebook grieving his death, with one calling him “the life of the party” and “the kindest soul”.

“The rodeo world is a small one, and the bull riding world is even smaller. But within it, Dylan made a big impact,” another post said, adding that “we never imagined we’d get the call saying Dylan didn’t make it home at all”.

Grant was from Laramie, Wyoming and competed for the University of Wyoming rodeo team.

The team posted on Facebook that it was “heartbroken” to learn of his death, saying its thoughts and prayers were with Grant’s mother and father “during this unthinkable time”.

Grant graduated in 2023 with a degree in Physical Education Teacher Education, the university team said.

“Dylan was a champion of life inside and outside of the arena,” the team said.

Grant competed in multiple professional rodeo events in his career, obtaining his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association permit in 2018 and buying his association card in 2024, the group said.

The potential for injury requiring medical intervention for rodeo athletes is high, a study published in the Kansas Journal of Medicine said.

The study identified 70 patients from rodeos treated at a trauma centre over 10 years. Head injuries were most common, reported in around half of patients. One person died as a result of their injuries.

Another article published in Sports Medicine found bull riding was responsible for the greatest proportion of rodeo injuries.