Nebraska Rodeo Cowboy and His Horse Killed by Lightning Strike
Terrel Vineyard, 27, was discovered north of Oshkosh, Neb., on June 21
Ernst Haas/Ernst Haas/Getty Images
A lightning bolt fatally struck a pro rodeo cowboy and his horse in Nebraska last week.
Terrel Vineyard, 27, was discovered north of Oshkosh, Neb., on June 21, the Garden County Sheriff’s Office told The North Platte Telegraph. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
Vineyard’s obituary said that Dose, the horse he rode on, also died during the incident. As a professional calf and team roper, Vineyard had qualified for the World Series of Team Roping in Las Vegas on three occasions, Newsweek reported.
"Terrel had many horses along the way but always had a main mount during each phase of his life. Terrel purchased Dose a few years ago as a roping prospect," his obituary reads. "Terrel and Dose left for greener pastures together—Terrel with his rope in hand.”
Vineyard left behind three children and his newlywed wife, Stacey, who wrote on Facebook, “The Vineyard family wants to thank everyone for what they have done for us the last week and moving forward.”
She said the family “laid our husband, son, and brother to rest” on Thursday.
“The community support on that day and all the days before was impeccable,” she continued. “The number of people that attended the service is a reflection of our caring community, family and friends. Thank you to everyone who was able to bring horses. We are very grateful for the extra effort it took to do that."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories
Stacey concluded the post with, “There are not enough words to express our appreciation. We are so thankful to be a part of this community.”
Ernst Haas/Ernst Haas/Getty Images
A Colorado cowboy silhouetted against mountains and a lowering sky.Wyoming Rodeo Association president Mike Kammerer said Vineyard’s death “hits close to home, because the one thing about rodeo families is they’re all pretty tightknit,” the Cowboy State Daily reports.
“I’ve never heard of anything like that when someone’s roping and gets hit on his horse, he continued. “That’s probably a one in a billion kind of thing.”
According to OxGaps, Vineyard was born in Oshkosh, Neb., adding that the cowboy “grew up in a ranching family" and "learned everything about ranching from his father and grandfather."
A GoFundMe page was launched to raise money for Vineyard's daughters' college education.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
