In 'Freak Accident,' Rider Pulled Under Bull and Killed

Amadeu Campos Silva, 22, described as having a lot of promise
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Sep 1, 2021 10:27 AM CDT
Bull Rider Competing in Calif. Dies in 'Freak Accident'
Amadeu Campos Silva rides the bull Yippee High Cowboy in Grand Rapids, Mich., in August, 2021.   (Andre Silva/Courtesy PBR/Bull Stock Media via AP)

A Brazilian bull rider was killed Sunday when his spur got caught in a rope, pulling him under the bull, and the animal stepped on his chest in California, according to the Professional Bull Riders touring group. Amadeu Campos Silva, 22, was competing at a bull-riding Velocity Tour event at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, said Andrew Giangola, a rep for Professional Bull Riders. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Campos Silva lost his balance and his spur got stuck in the flank strap, which is wrapped around the bull's lower torso to encourage it to buck. In a "freak accident," Campos Silva was pulled underneath the bull, which then stomped on his chest, Giangola said.

Giangola said the bull, named "Classic Man," will still be eligible for future events despite the tragedy. The bull was not at fault, he said, per the AP. "It clearly was not an act of aggression," he said. "The bull was bucking in his normal pattern." Described as "a bull rider with a lot of promise," Campos Silva competed in the 2020 Professional Bull Riders World Finals after debuting in the United States the year before. He was pursuing his dream to support his family. "He was a determined cowboy," Giangola said.

(More bull riding stories.)

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