Rodeo rider trampled to death in Salem County
A 19-year-old rider at the Cowtown Rodeo, Coy Lutz, died on Saturday when he fell off his horse and was trampled during an event in Salem County.
"Cowtown Rodeo and The Harris Family extend our heartfelt and sincere condolences to the Lutz Family for the tragic loss of their son, Coy. During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with all who knew and loved him," the rodeo wrote on its Facebook page.
Lutz was a professional bareback rider in the Professional Roder Cowboys Association who lived in Howard, Pa. He was a freshman at the University of Tennessee Martin majoring in criminal justice and a member of the rodeo team.
“Coy was just an outstanding kid who had a real bright future,” UT Martin head coach John Luthi said in a statement. “He was a good student and he came from a great family. Even though he was only here for one year, his impact will always be felt here at UT Martin. He was a super human being who always took care of his business. It’s hard to imagine why something like this had to happen but we have faith that God is in control.”
"He was a nice kid, a really nice kid, from a nice family," Cowtown Rodeo owner/producer Grant Harris told NJ Advance Media.
According to its website, Cowtown was opening its 62nd consecutive season on Saturday night. The rodeo is located in Woodstown, Salem County.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.