19 year old trampled by steer at fair

[red]

This is from the Indystar.com Just shows what can happen w/ cattle. Hoping for the best for him.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A 19-year-old man was in a drug-induced coma with head injuries after he was trampled by a steer at the Monroe County Fair, officials said.

 
The man was not participating in a fair event at the time of the accident about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, said Van Buren Township Fire Chief Tim Deckard.
"He was leading the steer out of the barn, and we don't know if the steer got spooked or what happened," Deckard said. "But the steer trampled him."
Fire officials who responded to the accident said they could not release the man's name due to federal health privacy laws.
The man was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived and was taken to Bloomington Hospital, Deckard said. He was suffering from a laceration to the back of the head, a report said.
"You could tell he was suffering from a head injury," Deckard said.
Fair board officials told fire officials late Wednesday that the man had been placed in a drug-induced coma, Deckard said.

 

[cowz]

We had a close call a couple of years ago with a calf spooking at a stroller in our barn at county fair.  (Which is marked, no strollers!)  For the average 4H kid, this is the only time their calf has been to town and some are still spooky.

Please remember to ask folks that don't know any better to keep them out of the barn if you can accomplish this.  It may save some child serious injury.

 

[farmboy]

At the county fair I'm always cautios when leading my steer or letting spectators pet him. Its unbelievable what a little 4 year old kid shreiking can doto any animal and when the steer gets wriled up, hes deemed as crazy. In another case last year, we had a steer cut himself and bleed to death from....a garbage truck coming down the wash racks and a shothorn kicked and ripped his artery in his back leg on some rough concrete blocks. Vets and everything couldnt stop the bleeding so they shipped it to the stock yards that day, before the girl could exhibit it on wednsday  :-\

 

[Jill]

I know if it is like the typical county fair, they started working with the calf 2 weeks ago and can't imagine how this possibly could have happened.  We have steers that come to our fair that have no business being on a lead rope, they weigh in Wed. show up long enough to show Fri and Sale on Sat., they don't have feed or water all week unless someone takes mercy on them and does it for the family.  I'm sorry for this man, but don't blame it on the strollers!  County fairs are in existence to aquaint urban folks with the rural way of life, they make their money and operate solely on the crowd that come with their children (some in strollers) to see the animals, this is how they stay in business.  I can remember being in Denver going to the sale to buy an animal with a 2,3 and 4 year old, hitting the door to find out I couldn't take a stroller in, I wasn't about to take 3 little boys with all their stuff through a barn full of cattle to get to a sale, needless to say, they didn't get any of my money that day, I was furious and we left.  Ok enough I'll get off  my soap box.

On the flip side, accidents happen and we never would have believed that until last year.  Standing at Jr. Nationals we were waiting to go in with a cow/calf pair, a heifer spooked and Logan ended up with a broken leg.  This was a well broke heifer that had been shown all year, they are animals and large ones at that, some of us that spend our time around really tame ones I guess need a reminder ever now and then they are animals and can do a lot of damage or even kill you.

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

It never ceases to amaze me how "city" people will shove a stroller right underneath an animal. Yes I realize that they are ignorant and think that the cattle we have on display are pets just like fido or fluffy. But common sence should tell them that when I am leading a 2400# bull down the center isle not to shove the stroller kid and all in underneath him so the kid can "pet the pretty cow". Even if he does not spook or kick they still run the risk of being stepped on. 2400# bull vs. 50# kid you do the math. I have raised 2 kids "on the road" and never took a stroller into the barn. We set a playpen up in the barn for the kids and back packed them in. This is a real pet peave of mine and I was very happy to see the No stroller signs pop up at most of the major shows,last year I saw a baby stroller get kicked about 20 feet acrossed the isle because some one let their kid push it under a heifer, luckily there wasn't a child in it or it could have been a disaster. Yes I'm aware that we are on exhibition for the public but I really wish people that bring their kids to the fair would control their kids that are running wild up and down the isles and keep their strollers away from the livestock .

 

[red]

What always made me nervous is when the kids or adulta will come into their stalls to pet them. They usually approach in a very jerky nervous manner. I've had parents put 2 year old kids on cattle like they're riding them & never ask if it's OK. I'm waiting for one to get kicked someday.

Red

 

[showcattlegal]

about 9 years ago a family brought some steers to our fair and they hadn't been worked with much because the didn't think they need to. they went to hip height him and he freaked out and jumped out of the scale, right on top of a 80 year old man that was helping with weigh in kicked him in the head and chest and he died on the way to the hospital. none of use want to show with them but they got a lawyer and they made the fair bored let them show. so they did and they dead last. sold the gentle one in the sale and took the mean wild one to the state fair. luckily nobody let them show it after kicked most of the fair bored when they where classifying and weighing them in.

 

[farmboy]

I dont worry as much when the kids and there moms ask if they can pet the feeders as where ours are always little and mostly tame. Just hope they dont get kicked or butted...Which leads me to when my advisors feeder buted me in the rear when I was giving water and he butted me across 3 halters of feeders He was not dehorned (just little ones) and it wasnt that bad. Im glad people around here really put a lot of work into there steers in order to prevent things like SCG's story

 

[grammie]

This is from the Indystar.com Just shows what can happen w/ cattle. Hoping for the best for him.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A 19-year-old man was in a drug-induced coma with head injuries after he was trampled by a steer at the Monroe County Fair, officials said.

 
The man was not participating in a fair event at the time of the accident about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, said Van Buren Township Fire Chief Tim Deckard.
"He was leading the steer out of the barn, and we don't know if the steer got spooked or what happened," Deckard said. "But the steer trampled him."
Fire officials who responded to the accident said they could not release the man's name due to federal health privacy laws.
The man was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived and was taken to Bloomington Hospital, Deckard said. He was suffering from a laceration to the back of the head, a report said.
"You could tell he was suffering from a head injury," Deckard said.
Fair board officials told fire officials late Wednesday that the man had been placed in a drug-induced coma, Deckard said.

 

[grammie]

This is from the Indystar.com Just shows what can happen w/ cattle. Hoping for the best for him.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A 19-year-old man was in a drug-induced coma with head injuries after he was trampled by a steer at the Monroe County Fair, officials said.

 
The man was not participating in a fair event at the time of the accident about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, said Van Buren Township Fire Chief Tim Deckard.
"He was leading the steer out of the barn, and we don't know if the steer got spooked or what happened," Deckard said. "But the steer trampled him."
Fire officials who responded to the accident said they could not release the man's name due to federal health privacy laws.
The man was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived and was taken to Bloomington Hospital, Deckard said. He was suffering from a laceration to the back of the head, a report said.
"You could tell he was suffering from a head injury," Deckard said.
Fair board officials told fire officials late Wednesday that the man had been placed in a drug-induced coma, Deckard said.


If you don't think there is anything wrong with pushing babies in strollers or for that matter using motorized wheelchairs around show animals, just get down to the level of who ever is in the contraption and imagine what it would be like to be kicked or run over at that level....deadly!  These are ANIMALS, unpredictable as our Saskatchewan weather!  I posted a warning on the barn door at the Canadian Western Agribition barn entrance stating  "if you love your kids, remove them from the stroller and carry them through the barn".  Some ignorant people ignored the warning, most complied.  If it turned people away from entering the barn at least I know potentially saved a life that day!

 

[farmboy]

(welcome) grammie

 

[renegade]

I am really surprised that my cattle are doing so well; they haven't been to any other shows but have minded any of the sights or sounds - i love the docile temperament of my herefords.  Some people can't even move their cattle, they are freaking out and it is terrible.  We always have someone at the stalls with the cattle and i don't mind if well behaved kids pet or sit on my cattle because they don't care but when they just invite themselves without asking that makes me made.

We have a rule that all bulls must show with nose rings/plugs; that's great and all but my bull acts better than 3/4 of the steers and heifers their without it, if anything he acts worse with it on - i am using him for showmanship tommarrow.

 

[SWMO]

I have been reading the posts on  SteerPlanet for some time but have never felt the need to add my two cents worth until this was posted.

Always a big concern for us at our County Fair.  Many of our exhibitors only show at the county fair and a good number have only been broke for a few weeks.  We are trying to address this problem but it is difficult to impress upon the PARENTS that their kids need to be working with their animals for several months prior to the fair.  Many of our steers at weigh in this year had never been touched.  Brought in straight out of the pasture.  It was a real Rodeo this year.  I personally find it much easier to break a 600 to 700 lb calf than a yearling that weighs 800 to 900 lbs.  Many of the kids (and parents)  just want to make the sale and not put any work into their projects. 

However, we have to realize that the most calm animal at home sometimes won't adjust to a change in their environment.  My son had a dead broke heifer at home but when you put her in a trailer she came unglued.  It was a nightmare.  Swam a lake and ran across a Wal Mart parking lot.  We ended up having to have her roped.  So even the most broke animal a home can become a danger.

Cattle are large and potentially dangerous animals.  It is important to limit traffic in the make up areas during the show and the sale.  We are always trying at our county fair to find better ways to control the traffic during the show and during our fat stock sale.  We have added a permanent fence around our County Fairgrounds hoping to eliminate the chasing of a heifer or steer through town. 

Does others out there feel like their fair carries enough liability insurance?  And what is enough?

 

[red]

(welcome) SWMO!

We had a heifer that had gone to several shows including a Junior Nat'l. Took her to our county fair & in the show ring she went beserk. Took 1/2 hour befiore my daughter & a nephew could control her. A woman standing next to me said "why don't people work w/ their cattle?" I told her the heifer had been worked w/ daily & shown. No idea on what happened. After that she was just fine & no problems.
Not sure on the liability the fair has. Good thing to check into.

Red