PRB Rider Clay Guiton Survives Terrifying Ride in Salt Lake

PBR fans were in shock as they watched a 20-year-old cowboy have a grand mal seizure in the dirt after being bucked off, knocked unconscious, and trampled over in the arena.

PBR Bull riding | Courtesy of PBR

PBR Rodeo goers to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah were stunned into silence on Saturday night after 20-year-old Clay Guiton was bucked off a bull and ended up fighting for his life. 

Fans Stunned Into Silence

What started as a ground shaking, fans screaming Saturday night ended in tragedy after the No. 2 cowboy in the world stepped up to ride Lieutenant Dan in Round 2. With the night nearing an end, there were just two rides to go until the championship round.

What started as shouts of encouragement as the cowboy loaded into the chute, turned into stunned silence. Right off the bat, Guiton was unseated from the bull in a violent charge, but what fans didn’t see at first was when he hit the ground, landing on his neck, the cowboy was knocked unconscious almost immediately. 

That wasn’t the worst of it. Bull fighters couldn’t reach him before things took a turn for the worst. After he hit the ground, he was repeatedly stepped on, taking hits to the shoulder, stomach and what looked like his chest. Despite screams from fans, Lieutenant Dan didn’t slow down.

Once the dust cleared, fans saw what no one ever wants to see; Guiton’s body convulsing on the ground. He was suffering a grand mal seizure. 

In the midst of all the chaos, bull fighters were finally able to get to work. Austin Ashley, Lucas Teodoro and Cody Webster managed to pull the bull away from the scene and clear the floor. It was then that the three friends of Guiton waved over EMT’s and sports medicine.

The arena went completely silent so medical help could effectively communicate. Fans and cowboys alike stood with cowboy hats in hand, looking on as Guiton continued to convulse in the dirt. Dr. Tandy Freeman was the first to reach the rider when he noticed he was choking on his mouth guard, watching it slip down his throat.

Guiton's Road To Recovery

It seemed like things were just getting worse. With all hands on deck Freeman removed it while medical staff rushed out the backboard. Once loaded on, Guiton would then take the ride of his life, just this time, it was making it to the hospital.

During the ambulance ride, he regained consciousness in flashes. Once at the hospital, doctors were attempting to cut all his gear off, but it was the next 20 hours that were the most crucial for the cowboy. While the cowboy slept, they ran tests, did x-rays and CT scans. They were worried he'd broken his jaw. 

What came back was even more surprising: all the results were clear. Not one broken bone in Guiton’s body. 

While this is nothing short of a miracle, he still has a long road to recovery ahead. He has to see a neurologist and complete concussion protocol before he can enter the arena again. 

An incident like this just goes to show how much grit it takes to be a professional bull rider, and hopefully this won’t set back the season for Guiton too much as he still remains the second best PBR cowboy in the world. 

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