Alright, folks, this is the kind of story that makes your heart race just hearing about it. Imagine this—you drive 11 hours to compete in a high-stakes rodeo, get on a bull you “thought” you knew, and the next thing you know, you’ve got a three-inch bull horn lodged in your “neck”. That’s exactly what happened to 24-year-old Zachary Naegele, a professional bull rider from Amite, Louisiana. And let’s be clear—he came *this* close to not making it out alive.
The terrifying incident took place on February 7 at the Conley Invitational Bull Riding competition in Palmetto, Florida. Zachary had drawn a bull he was familiar with, but things took a near-deadly turn when the animal “busted” him off. In the chaos, one of the bull’s horns punctured through his jaw and into his neck, slicing his carotid artery. And if you know “anything” about human anatomy, you know that’s a one-way ticket to serious trouble.
At first, Zachary didn’t even realize what had happened. He thought the bull had just clipped his face—until he saw the blood “pouring” from his neck. And when I say pouring, I mean “syringe full of water” levels of force. He barely had time to process it before EMTs rushed him to HCA Florida Blake Hospital.
Here’s where it gets “really” intense. During the 20-minute ambulance ride, Zachary felt himself slipping away. He lost so much blood that his vision blacked out. All he could do was listen to the emergency team telling him to hold on.
“Right before I got to the hospital, I felt myself taking my last breath, and I blacked out,” he recalled. By the time he arrived, doctors couldn’t find a pulse in his neck or arm. They later told him he “should not” have survived.
But somehow, against the odds, he did. Surgeons worked quickly, reconstructing his carotid artery, reattaching nerves in his neck, and stitching up the gaping wound. Thanks to their efforts—and what Zachary calls a miracle—he’s already back home, walking, talking, and eating soft foods.
And get this—despite the near-death experience, “he’s not done riding”. Zachary says he plans to return to bull riding within a few months to chase his dream of joining the Oklahoma Wildcats, a Professional Bull Riders (PBR) team. He acknowledges the risk, but to him, it’s just part of the sport.
“This hasn’t put me off being a rodeo athlete,” he said. “Bull riding is my main source of income. There’s always going to be that nervous side to it after an injury, but this was a freak accident.”
The Conley Invitational Bull Riding organization also weighed in, emphasizing that safety is a priority but acknowledging the unpredictable nature of the sport. And while injuries like this are rare—thanks to safety gear like helmets, vests, and horn tipping—this was one of those freak moments that reminds everyone just how dangerous bull riding really is.
At the end of the day, Zachary’s survival is nothing short of a miracle. He lost a massive amount of blood, went into complete darkness, and “still” came back fighting. And now? He’s not just recovering—he’s gearing up for his next ride.
