Despite 2 injuries, Westmoreland rodeo deemed a success

Forty bulls and 30 horses drew more than 4,000 people to a makeshift rodeo at the Westmoreland Mall parking lot over the weekend.

“Up and all it was pretty doggone successful,” said Sean Sullivan, general manager at Live! Casino Pittsburgh, coordinator of the event.

But two men were hurt during the rodeo, one of whom had to be flown to Pittsburgh for treatment.

The Pro Bulls & Barrels Rodeo and Concert attracted thousands of people packed into a makeshift rodeo arena set up in an empty parking lot at the back of the shopping center. The two-day event featured barrel racing, bull riding and a concert that included The Hobbs Sisters and country singer David Nail.

The two men who were hurt — neither from the area — included a rider who flew off a bull and hit a gate, injuring his leg, and a man who was hurt during one of the last bull rides of the night Sunday. He was hit by a bull while working in the bucking shoots, Sullivan said.

“He was hit hard,” Sullivan said. “That bull threw him like a rag doll. … It was scary.”

Both men, who were not identified, were taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Lorenzo Garino, spokesman for Mutual Aid Ambulance, said one person was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh trauma center, although it was not immediately clear which person that was.

“When we know that a certain event like that is coming to town, we will refresh ourselves on education and some different things. … We felt like we were pretty prepared,” Garino said.

Officials had been planning the event for weeks. It involved hauling 40 tri-axles, or more than 1,000 tons, of dirt in from The Yard, a Unity-based landscaping company. A 52-foot tractor-trailer hauled the arena, which consisted of fencing, an area where bulls were housed and six bucking chutes. A dozen 50-foot bleachers were trucked from Ohio.

In addition, 40 bulls and 30 horses were brought from across the country. The event drew dozens of riders to the region, including some from Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil and Peru.

The event attracted more than 2,500 people to the first day of the rodeo and 750 to the concert that evening. Sunday’s rodeo drew close to 2,000 attendees.

“From the behind-the-scenes accomplishments to the front-of-the-house enjoyment, it was a home run,” Sullivan said.

He noted there were areas for improvement, like funnelling attendees through the front entrance faster.

“We’re not saying it was flawless. We’re just saying that, in general, it was amazing, and we’ll work on the opportunities next time, if there is a next time,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said he is not yet sure if the casino will host another rodeo.

“We can’t think of a reason not to, but we also want to continue to challenge ourselves to give different forms of entertainment,” Sullivan said. “Maybe a rodeo every year isn’t the right idea. … So we’re not just going to say automatically we’ll do it again. We’re going to sit down and challenge ourselves to continue to provide fantastic, unique entertainment for the region, for Westmoreland County.”

Officials are in the process of cleaning up.

By Monday morning, all that remained was a pile of dirt in the parking lot. Everything was expected to be cleared by noon Tuesday.