CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — A bull briefly escaped the arena during a signature competition at this year’s Parma Inferno event Saturday night before being quickly recaptured, according to organizers and spectators.
The incident happened during the rodeo’s bull poker competition, one of the event’s featured attractions, when a bull broke through a gate and ran into a nearby field.
Spectator David Moore, who has attended the event for several years, said the bull appeared to circle the arena before forcing its way out.
WATCH |Bull briefly escapes arena before being recaptured at Parma Inferno—
“He kind of circled the arena and then went back and hit the arena gate and kind of bounced the chain or something, and then out he went,” Moore said.
Moore said cowboys on horseback moved in quickly once the bull got loose.
“The cowboys went out there with their horses, and they were able to catch him,” he said. According to Parma Inferno organizers, the bull was safely recovered, and there were no injuries requiring medical attention outside the arena.
Despite the unexpected moment, Moore described the event as a strong community gathering that continues to grow each year.
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“This is my third year attending the Parma Inferno. I think it's a great community event. It seems to be getting bigger every year,” he said. He also said he felt organizers handled the situation appropriately.
“I think they handled it perfectly. The cowboys and the horses were on that. Everybody had a rope,” Moore said.
Following the event, some attendees raised concerns on social media, including a Facebook post from spectator Michelle Serratos, who shared photos appearing to show a bull poker participant receiving medical attention for a bloody nose.
Serratos told Idaho News 6 that the man pictured was participating in the event and said she was standing nearby when he was escorted from the area.
Idaho News 6 has not independently verified the extent of any injuries shown in the photos before publication.
Organizers say the bull was contained quickly and the event continued without further incident.
The Parma Inferno has grown in popularity in recent years, featuring multiple rodeo-style competitions and drawing crowds from across the region.
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