On June 21, Terrel Vineyard, a 27 year old professional calf and team roper, was tragically killed by a lightning strike while riding his horse, Dose, in a rural area of Nebraska. According to the Garden County Attorney’s Office, first responders were unable to revive him and an autopsy confirmed that he died from the lightning strike. His horse also perished in the incident. Vineyard had qualified for the World Series of Team Roping in Las Vegas three times.
Upon hearing of the tragedy, Mike Kammerer, President of the Wyoming Rodeo Association shared his condolences for the family. Terrel leaves behind his wife, Stacey, and three young daughters. He was laid to rest on June 27th and a GoFundMe was created to financially assist his family. Stacey expressed her gratitude and humbleness for all of the love and support that has been shown for her and her family. During the funeral service, mourners brought horses to honor his memory.
The National Lightning Safety Council reported that his death was the sixth U.S. fatality from lightning in 2023, following 19 lightning-caused fatalities in 2022.