Posted: 10/10/06
Caledonia man hurt in bull attack
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Shane Buros, 37, Caledonia suffered a shoulder injury in a bull attack during a horse ride in rural Peterson on September 30.
The freak accident also injured several other people that Saturday afternoon.
About 147 people were on the ride, according to Cheryl Wold of Brownsville, who was also on the ride but was not hurt.
It happened about 4 p.m., when a black Angus bull on the Mike Boyum farm charged into riders.
Buros saw the bull coming and tried unsuccessfully to cut it off. It knocked one rider over a cliff, and sent another one rolling, Buros said. ìHorses were just rolling. It was just crazy,î he said.
The bull then turned around and hit Burosí horse. He said it hooked him under the leg and threw him into a tree.
A rider had loosely tied her horse to a tree, Wold wrote in an account of the incident. She said the bull went after the rider and chased her around the tree. The bull then went after the riderís horse. ìThe horse got itself loose and the bull and horse tumbled down the hill,î Wold wrote. The horse was fine but the bull injured its leg, she said.Ý ìThe bull then hobbled away and lay down away from the group. The bull and a horse then fought and rolled over a hill as the horseís owner hid behind a tree,î Wold wrote.
Buros could hear snorting and brush cracking from the animals. ìIf it wasnít for that horse, weíd probably [have] been pinned down,î he said.
Despite his shoulder injury, which has a broken bone, Buros is counting his blessings. ìNobody got killed and no kids got hurt,î he said.
Buros called the bull a head-hunter. ìNobody threatened him,î he said. ìWe were nowhere near his cows.î
Cory Black, Hayfield, suffered the worst injuries, after the bull attacked him while he was on the ground. He had a head injury, a cracked hip, pelvis and ribs, and punctured lung. He was taken by medical helicopter to St. Maryís Hospital in Rochester, as was Bruce Kvitten of Pine Island.
Two other people were taken by Rushford and Mason City, Iowa ambulances to the hospital: rider Donald Prohaska of Kasson, and Rushford fireman Gene Lawston. Lawston was injured during the rescue when a rock dislodged, rolled down a hill, and hit him in the head.
Rescue workers put the injured men on backboards and carried them up a hill to get to the rescue vehicles.
The ride was an annual event organized by Sylvia Passow of Brush Poppin Ranch in Peterson.
ìItís just a terrible, unfortunate accident,î she said. ìI think I would probably be struck by lightning than Iíd ever see anything like that again.î
Riders had ridden that same area when they marked the trail, then again with outriders, never with any problems. ìYou canít ever know what goes on in the minds of animals or predict how theyíre going to act,î she said. ìThe bull just went absolutely berserk.î
Black is doing physical therapy at St. Maryís Hospital, and the others are home and recovering, Passow said.
The accident could have been worse, Passow said. For example, Blackís horse stayed in the ravine with him. Black wasnít discovered until people went to get his horse. Without the loyalty of the horse, Black might not have been discovered in time, Passow said.
Lawston took the blow of the falling rock, and the rock may have killed the person he was working on, Passow added.
ìHeard a lot of screamingî
Cheryl Wold gave The Argus the following account of the incident:
ìJohn and I were at the bottom of the hill/bluff. We heard a lot of screaming and yelling above. We couldnít see anything because of the trees. We first saw Bruceís horse come down without its rider. The black horse had a deep gash to its hind leg and cuts to hoof area. My husband John hung on to his horse and the both of us tried to calm it down; as to slow down the bleeding.
ìI later noticed Donís horse was behind us eating grass. I looked around for Don but couldnít find him. Later I was told he was up on the hill, injured, and was not yet responding. I wanted to run up to check on him but thought it best I stay put.
ìAnother horse ran down without a rider or reins. The horse was very scared. I understand somebody had the horse tied up and then took off the reins and let the horse go.
ìEverything happened above us, in the woods, on the side of the bluff. There were plenty of rocks and a barb-wired fence between us.
ìThe people at the bottom of the hill, later rode back to camp, crossing back across the Root River. Donís horse was able to walk O.K., so I led his horse behind my horse, back to camp with me.Ý I was told the upper half of the ride, went back to camp another direction.î
Caledonia Argus
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