Woman injured when rodeo bull jumps into crowd

Edmonton - A woman was injured at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton when a bull jumped over the railing and into the crowd Friday night.

Those who work with the bull said they think the four-year-old animal, who was taking part in his first major indoor rodeo, was frightened by all of the activity. “I think it was just all the people, the lights, the music,” Tyler Thomson, who raised the bull, told The Edmonton Journal. “He panicked. Bulls are like horses — they need time to get used to their surroundings. “We’ll take him home and do some more work with him. He’ll be back. He just needs to be seasoned a little more.” He said the animal, whose name is Rewind, has taken part in 10 rodeos this year, but this was his first major indoor one. He has never jumped a fence before, and if the first bull in the history of the CFR to do so. Thomson said that he would have been less surprised if Rewind’s half-brother Pop Evil jumped a fence, as he is more high-strung. Rewind had just thrown his rider before he ran to the far end of the arena and leaped the metal railing. Pickup man Gary Rempel lassoed the 1,600-pound animal and he was soon removed from the stands. A woman suffering from back pain and numbness in her legs was taken away by ambulance and three people were treated for minor injuries at the scene. On Saturday, a small group of protesters visited the area to speak out against the treatment of rodeo animals. One said he had seen animals electrically prodded and their tails twisted. Tove Reece, of Voices for Animals, believes more people would avoid rodeos if they knew more about them. "We are just here to educate people about what the animals go through, because I think they really get forgotten in this whole thing," she told CTV News. Dale Leschiutta, with the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association, said they have made major steps along the lines of animal rights.