A rider competes in the saddle bronc event during the 2024 Marysville Stampede at Cotton Rosser Arena in Marysville. Flying U Rodeo Company supplied the livestock for the event. File photo

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - Two horses supplied by Marysville-based Flying U Rodeo Company were euthanized after sustaining serious injuries during an Aug. 15 rodeo in Ferndale.

Witnesses interviewed by Humboldt County news outlet Lost Coast Outpost reported seeing the horses suffer what appeared to be broken legs. Some spectators also described other horses falling, striking arena fencing or appearing unusually agitated during the bronc competition. Those observations have led to questions from some attendees about the arena and circumstances surrounding the injuries.

According to a joint statement from Flying U and the Ferndale Rodeo Committee, one saddle bronc horse was injured after its competition had ended and the rider had dismounted. A second horse was also injured during the event. Both received treatment from an on-site veterinarian.

The statement said the injuries raised concerns regarding the arena surface, prompting officials to stop competition while the ground underwent an evaluation and immediate repairs. Veterinarians later determined that the injuries to both horses were severe enough that the animals should be humanely euthanized.

Flying U and the Ferndale Rodeo Committee said livestock welfare remains a priority and that safeguards are in place for both human and animal athletes participating in professional rodeo.

Nicole Delerio-Rosser later told the Territorial Dispatch that the Flying U family was “devastated by the loss of the two horses” and preferred not to further revisit the incident.