Bull horn slashes cowboy's throat

A CROWD watched in horror as Alpha cowboy Andrew Revett's throat was pierced by a bull's horn on Saturday night.

Andrew, 29, had travelled with his girlfriend, Vicki, 20, to the Capella Rodeo for a typical competition.

But Andrew's few seconds on the notorious beast Man Eater would be some of the scariest of his career.

The bull is considered one of the best on the circuit and was Andrew's second ride for the night.

It was the last ride of the night in the main event.

Man Eater kicked out of the chutes and Andrew rode it for a few seconds before the bull threw its head back, colliding with Andrew's head and sending his helmet flying back over the chutes.

Andrew was “thrown around literally like a rag doll” before the beast finally tossed him over his head.

As Andrew was plummeting towards the ground the bull's horn pierced the left side of his neck, leaving a 10 centimetre laceration.

People in the crowd said they thought Andrew was dead.

Other bull riders, bull fighters and paramedics rushed to help Andrew as blood streamed from his neck.

His body was lifeless in the arena.

Andrew was unconscious for 15 minutes as paramedics rushed him to Emerald Hospital and then flew him to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Sitting in the ambulance next to her boyfriend, Vicki said it dawned on her that she had never told Andrew how she felt.

“It occurred to me that life is too short to not be honest with your feelings. It was only in the ambulance that I told him how I felt,” Vicki said.

Yesterday morning Andrew was discharged from hospital.

Vicki said he still had trouble speaking and was in a fair bit of pain but they were happy to be heading home.

“He's been discharged. They stitched him up and sent him home,” a happy Vicki said.

“You've got to be tough to do the sport.”

Yesterday from Brisbane, Vicki said Andrew was still “very, very sore” and had a swollen face but was otherwise doing well.

She was full of praise for the staff at Emerald Hospital and the Rural Flying Doctors Service, for Phil and Maree at the airport and the McGuire family for all their help.

As for Andrew's bull riding future, Vicki said she was happy to let him do what he wanted.

“It's no fault of anyone's,” she said. “Accidents happen.

“It's all just part of the sport.”