PORT ANGELES — A 16-year-old Tumwater girl was taken to Olympic Medical Center on Saturday after she was injured while practicing for an event at the Peninsula Junior Rodeo at the Clallam County Fairgrounds.
Jim Bissonette, president of the Peninsula Junior Rodeo Association, said Saturday that Samantha Roth was practicing dismounting her horse when her foot became caught in her stirrup.
She lost her balance and fell face-first onto the ground, Bissonette said.
Roth was taken to OMC in Port Angeles via ambulance, Bissonette said, adding that her injuries seemed to be limited to her face.
The nursing supervisor at OMC said she could neither confirm nor deny Roth was at the hospital as of 12:50 p.m. Saturday because of patient privacy concerns stemming from Roth being a minor.
95 participating in rodeo
Bissonette estimated that Roth was one of about 95 participants for this year’s junior rodeo, which continues today at the fairgrounds at 608 W. 16th St.
Roth’s age means she would have been competing in and training for junior rodeos for at least four years, Bissonette said.
“All the safety precautions were taken,” Bissonette said. “Sometimes, [accidents] just happen.”
Roth was practicing for an event that involves participants riding their horses the length of the arena toward a goat secured with rope, Bissonette explained.
Participants then dismount their horses as they slow to a stop and quickly tie up the goat’s feet, he said.
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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
