By Matt Kelly

Alarming rodeo incident results in only stitches for bull rider

May 2, 2016 | 2:46 PM

A bull rider is stitched up and on the mend after a scary scene at the 46th Annual North Battleford Kinsmen Indoor Rodeo over the weekend.

On Saturday night’s show at the Civic Centre, veteran rider Lane LaPlante from North Battleford was riding two-time Canadian Cowboy Association Bull of the Year winner and two-time Bull of the Final winner Hand Burner.

LaPlante was bucked off by Hand Burner, then was rolled over by the bull and started bleeding from the neck. The bullfighters in the pen were the first on scene before LaPlante was swarmed by paramedics and eventually taken to the hospital for stitches; all while talking and staying conscious.

Blaine Fyson of Battle River Rodeo contracted the animals for the weekend and said LaPlante’s injuries were minor with all things considered. The rider was kept in the hospital out of precaution.

“They (the doctors) kept him in Sunday morning because they thought there was a little air in the wound so they thought they might have to cut the stitches, but he was texting me all day and wanted to get out,” Fyson said.

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Due to the size and shape of the gash on LaPlante’s neck, it’s believed the rider was cut by the safety equipment and not by the bull.

“We think it’s his helmet that cut his neck. There’s like a three-inch clean cut on his neck,” Fyson said. “He’s fine, he wanted to get up. My wife is a paramedic and she immediately looked at him and put pressure on the bleed. But it’s such a clean cut it must have been the edge of his helmet or something (to that effect).”

Fyson added it was just a freak accident for the long-time bull rider who was eager to take a ride on the decorated Hand Burner.

“LaPlante’s been wanting to get on that bull for so long. He’s just a nice bull but he does buck hard and it just didn’t go so well,” he said.

mkelly@jpbg.ca