Bull rider who died at Oregon rodeo passionate about the sport

BEND, Ore. — Like his dad, Richard Wayne Perry had a passion for rodeo.

In particular, Perry loved the calf roping and bull riding events, competing in them when he was younger, said his sister Debra Jean Perry, 59, of North Port, Florida.

That passion put Richard Perry, of Prineville, Oregon, back on a bull Sept. 5 at the Paulina Amateur Rodeo. Perry fell from the bull, which then stepped on him. Badly wounded, he died from the injury.

Grieving like the rest of her family and friends of her brother, Debra Jean Perry takes some solace knowing that he died doing what he loved. He had often joked to her that he wanted to ride one more bull before he turned 60.

“He went out the way he wanted,” she said. Sept. 5 was his 58th birthday.

A Labor Day weekend tradition, the Paulina Amateur Rodeo is a part of Crook County culture.

The rodeo grounds are nestled next to hillsides just west of Paulina, a small ranching community 55 miles east of Prineville. Spectators and contestants alike camp outside the stands.

This year’s rodeo was the 66th annual, said Yvonne Coffelt, wife of the rodeo’s treasurer.

Over the years, cowboys have had their share of injuries — broken arms and the like.

“You know when you mess with rough stock, it happens,” she said. But she was not aware of any major injuries like what Richard Perry suffered.

Perry stayed on the bull for a couple of jumps before being thrown, said Sgt. James Savage of the Crook County Sheriff’s Office. “And (then) the bull came down and landed right on him,” Savage said, saying the animal stepped on his chest.

Sheriff’s Deputies and Rager Emergency Services medics attempted CPR for 45 minutes but were not able to revive Perry. Like Coffelt, Savage said he can remember accidents and injuries at the rodeo before, but nothing as serious as this.

As the name suggests, the Paulina Amateur Rodeo is more open to competitors of all levels than the Sisters Rodeo or the La Pine Rodeo, which are sanctioned by rodeo associations.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which also puts on the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, sanctions the Sisters Rodeo and the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association sanctions the La Pine Rodeo.

The sanctioning means the associations handle collecting fees and handing out prize money, said Melvin Emert, vice president of the La Pine Rodeo Association. At an amateur rodeo, local organizers collect money from contestants and then divvy up winnings.

“That is how La Pine started years ago,” he said.

Richard Perry was familiar with all types of rodeos, having competed in the Sisters Rodeo years ago, Debra Jean Perry said.

“His passion in life was bull riding and calf roping,” she said. He followed in the boot steps of his father, who also rode in rodeos. His father was also 58 when he died decades ago of a heart attack.

Also passionate about and protective of his family, Richard Perry moved to Louisiana to be with his sister after her husband died in 2011. He moved with her to Florida in 2013.

“Richard had a big heart,” Debra Jean Perry said. She also described him as loyal tough guy with a warm smile and a good sense of humor.

More recently, Richard Perry had come home to Prineville. Over the years, he found jobs as a horse handler, handy man and ranch worker.

“He was a cowboy,” she said.

Survivors include his mother, four children and five siblings. Private services are planned.