Aspiring Bull Rider (Age 9) Dies While Bull-Riding - "Freak Accident"

[matcom]

<snip>

Bull riding consumed nine-year-old Braeden Chamberlain's life.

Toy plastic bull riders overflowed in his desk and rodeo magazine articles were preferred reading over school textbooks.

In the family's central Alberta home outside Spruce View, Braeden and his two younger brothers practised steer riding on the arm of the couch.

But his passion for the rodeo life ended tragically when, four months after his first riding lesson, Braeden was killed when he was kicked in the chest area by a 650-pound heifer.

A family friend said that the Chamberlains have been shattered by the boy's death.

"How could you not blame yourself when a child is killed?" said Elbert Koster, a neighbour and family friend of Mike and Tammy Chamberlain, Braeden's parents. "The fact of the matter is: This is a sport, there are risks involved, safety gear was worn and worn properly to the standard of the sport and this was a freak accident." :eyes:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050301/BULL01/TPNational/Canada

[bleedingheart]

1. There have been lots of kids maimed and killed on farms

but in this case I think the parents knowingly let him participate in a "sport" that is way too dangerous for his age but I do feel sorry for them and I am sure their grief is even heavier since they knew it was preventable....

[Coventina]

2. Poor kid was too little to know better

Those parents are idiots.

[elehhhhna]

3. "We'll make a man outta him even if it kills him..."

An 80 pound child on a 650 pound bull? Yeah. That's a sport, alright. For the bull, maybe.

[zbdent]

5. Guess the rodeo shows never show the broken bones and such

on TV . . .

[aden_nak]

4. Accident my ass. It was cause and effect.

I hope his parents feel fucking guilty for the rest of their lives. Because they are.

[u4ic]

6. Just to clarify

it wasn't a heifer, nor a bull, but a steer (castrated male). 650 lbs isn't a lot; a Shetland Pony can weigh around 500lbs. Basically, the steer is young and would be the size of a large pony.

They have had contests for kids for years in rodeos.

That being said, what a tragedy.