Two women have filed lawsuits worth a combined $11.55 million (£9.1 million) after a 1,500-pound bull jumped a fence and charged into the crowd at a rodeo.
Incident at Sisters Rodeo
The incident happened on June 8, 2024 at the 84th Sisters Rodeo in Sisters, Oregon, US, as around 5,500 people watched the final bull-riding section of the show. Stadium lights had been dimmed and spectators were waving phone torches while singing along to Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA when the animal broke free. Now, alleged victims Allison Hickey and Kristin Wert are naming the Sisters Rodeo Association, the Professional Cowboys Association and livestock contractor Corey & Lange Rodeo Co. in their lawsuit.
Bull Named Party Bus
The bull - named Party Bus - circled the arena before suddenly leaping over a six-foot perimeter fence into the crowd area, according to accounts of the incident. An emergency response plan was announced over the loudspeaker, with spectators told to seek higher ground. Panic reportedly followed as people scrambled for cover under bleachers, inside concession stands and behind portable toilets. The bull ran through the public fairgrounds towards a vendor area behind VIP seating, knocking over bins along the way.
Injuries Suffered
Wert was struck from behind in the concession area and was thrown into the air, suffering a concussion, chronic migraines and injuries to her shoulder, arm and leg, the lawsuit claims. Hickey, a 26-year-old physical therapist at the time, alleges she was crushed when the bull landed on her, leaving her with a broken arm, a crushed leg and a serious shoulder injury that has permanently restricted her movement and affected her career.
"What should have been a fun night was cut short when I was crushed by a bull," Hickey said in a statement released through her attorney. "Instead of being met with compassion by The Sisters Rodeo, my trauma has been turned into profit."
Bull Barred from Competition
In the days after the incident, Party Bus's owner, Mike Corey, told the Associated Press the three-year-old bull had been barred from future rodeo competition following the escape. "He simply went and jumped out of the arena," Corey said. "It happens, and not very often, thank God." A Deschutes County sheriff's deputy responding to the incident suffered minor injuries while attempting to manage the crowd and secure the scene.
Legal Claims and Responses
Rodeo pickup men on horseback chased the animal through the fairgrounds and herded it back towards the livestock pens, where it was secured within minutes. Two injured people were taken to hospital and later released. In their legal complaints, the women allege the arena fencing was effectively too low, claiming soil build-up inside the ring over time reduced the height of the protective barrier. They also argue organisers should have installed secondary fencing to prevent a bull reaching spectators.
In legal responses, Corey & Lange Rodeo Co denied liability and suggested responsibility for maintaining a safe venue lay with the Sisters Rodeo Association. The Sisters Rodeo Association said it takes livestock safety seriously and disputed claims that any animals were treated inhumanely, but declined to comment directly on the ongoing litigation.
