The death of Makwala Derickson-Hall at the Canoe Mountain Rodeo is nothing less than tragic. At 18, and with one year of riding under his belt, he was considered a cowboy to watch with dreams of reaching the pro circuit. Friends and family spoke highly of his character, and the bullriding community is still in mourning following the accident. More than half of the bull riders went home and did not compete after his death. Community leaders from the Okanagan First Nation, which he called home, are praising Derickson-Hall as a dedicated and disciplined young man, according to reports in the Globe and Mail.

While Derickson-Hall did die ‘doing what he loved’ it is highly important to understand what, if anything could have been done to prevent his death. While their mythology is ingrained deeply in the Western psyche, cowboys are still mortal, and risks can be managed.

There is an investigation into his death by the British Columbia coroner’s office, as there are factors that must be considered. Derickson-Hall was wearing safety gear, however being stepped on by a two-tonne bull is nearly impossible to protect oneself against. There were no ambulances on scene, but they did arrive quickly. A registered nurse was one of the first people to treat Derickson-Hall on scene. It was a busy night for first responders in the Robson Valley, as their ambulances were helping others in need.

Bull riding is obviously a dangerous sport. According to research being conducted out of the University of Calgary, there is at least one death at rodeos in North America every year. This was the first accident for the Valemount-based rodeo, however risk is constantly present in the bull ring.

As we have seen countless times, planning is the best way to mitigate such disasters. Escape plans, proper safety gear and emergency support greatly increase chances of avoiding disaster. If such events are to continue, these should be the terms.

As for the paramedic situation, it is not unique to the Robson Valley. It is important to have trained responders on scene - the B.C. Rodeo Association requires it - however it is folly for paramedics to stay at the location of a potential accident while an emergency situation unfolds elsewhere. Juggling limited resources is a constant battle for ambulance services in remote locations, and this weekend proved no different. Organizers have asked in the past for an ambulance to be stationed at the event, but have been turned down because the ambulance service cannot spare the resources for one such event. In the future, rodeo organizers should have the flexibility to postpone events if the proper medical services aren’t within an acceptable range. 

The bull Derickson-Hall was riding was scheduled to appear again the day after his death, however his scheduled rider did not show. Be it smarts or superstition, cowboys have their own risk management code.