The incident occured Sunday and shocked the Professional Bull Riding world.
A “rising star” in the professional bull-riding world from Brazil has died in a “freak accident” during a recent California competition, according to NBC News.
Amadeu Campos Silva, 22, was killed Sunday after his spur got caught in a rope, pulling him under the bull, and the animal stepped on his chest during a competition in Fresno, CBS News reported.
Campos Silva was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The Professional Bull Riders CEO Sean Gleason confirmed the news in a statement on their website.
“Our heart breaks for Amadeu’s family and friends. At 22, he was a bull rider with a lot of promise, coming to the U.S. after competing in PBR Brazil in 2017 and 2018 to pursue his dream of a World Championship,” he said. “Amadeu was a rising star in our sport; a cowboy with so much potential on and off the dirt. The entire PBR and western sports family extend our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt condolences to Amadeu’s family and friends. Please say a prayer tonight for them, and may Amadeu’s soul eternally rest in peace.”
Silva was competing at a bull-riding Velocity Tour event at the Save Mart Center.
The rider lost his balance and his spur got stuck in a strap, which was wrapped around the bull's lower torso to encourage it to buck, Andrew Giangola, a spokesperson for Professional Bull Riders, told The Associated Press.
In what Giangola described to the outlet as a "freak accident," the rider was pulled underneath the animal, which then stomped on his chest.
"It clearly was not an act of aggression," Giangola added. "The bull was bucking in his normal pattern."
