Gravement blessé par un taureau lors d'un rodéo....

[Animal 0]

Rodeo director injured in encounter with bull
Rocky Rockwell was talking to some cowboys when a rearing bull hit him

Richard Chu
Vancouver Sun

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

CREDIT: Peter Battistoni, Vancouver Sun
Two-year-old Jayden Sigouin naps on dad Steve's head as they walk the
grounds during the final day of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair on
Victoria Day.

SURREY - A director of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition was seriously
injured Monday afternoon when he was hit by a bull during one of the last
rodeo performances of the annual event.

About 4 p.m., Rocky Rockwell was talking with some cowboys during the last
bull-riding event at the Stetson Bowl when one of the bulls in the bucking
chute pen reared up and knocked him off the platform that cowboys use to get
on the animals, rodeo spokeswoman Laura Ballance said.

Rockwell, a long-time Cloverdale Rodeo board member, is also an RCMP officer
who is due to retire this year, Ballance said. He suffered serious internal
injuries from the accident and was taken to Royal Columbian Hospital after
being treated on site by paramedics.

"He was moving when he left here and was conscious," she said.

The bull that hit Rockwell jumped out of the pen and into the animal stock
area, she said.
Rockwell was likely enjoying the company of the cowboys and staff before he
was hit, Ballance said when asked why he was on the cowboy platform.

"Sometimes the people who've been around the association a long time will
stand back there and talk to the stock people and the cowboys, and
unfortunately, it was a case of him being in the wrong place at the wrong
time," Ballance said.

Ballance said she wasn't aware of any accidents at the rodeo involving
people other than cowboys for at least five years.

The bull-riding event was delayed as Rockwell was treated, but continued
afterwards in front of about 4,500 spectators, Ballance said.

Rockwell has been a strong supporter of the Cloverdale Rodeo over the years,
having spoken out against claims of animal cruelty by various animal rights
groups.

The accident occurred just hours before the annual fair was about to close
for the year.
Despite the wet weather over the weekend, Ballance said attendance at this
year's event will likely be one of the highest on record.

[animo-aequoanimo 0]

Je crois qu'il s'agit du 3ième accident depuis 3 mois environ. Il nous faudra mettre notre article à jour de ce côté.