Harrowing moment bull crashes through barrier and leaps into crowd at Florida rodeo

All spectators at the Florida State Fairgrounds avoid injuries

A crowd at a rodeo at the Florida State Fairgrounds got a scare over the weekend when a bull broke free from its holding pen and leapt over the barrier separating the spectators from the action.

Footage captured by Christopher Thornton and reported by FOX 13 in Tampa Bay shows the bull running free after breaking through the side of the chute as handlers race to contain it.

While many spectators rushed to their feet, Mr Thornton, who was attending his first rodeo, had a different instinct.

“Everyone was rushing, the parents were grabbing their kids. People were jumping over the chairs,” Mr Thornton told the television station. “The first thing in my head said to record it. I couldn’t believe this was happening at my first rodeo!”

A handler quickly roped in the bull as it raced to the other end of the arena, and the incident concluded without anyone in the stands suffering any injuries.

The state fairgrounds are located in East Lake-Orient Park outside of Tampa, and are the home of the Florida State Fair that takes place each year in February. The facility holds other events throughout the course of the rest of the year like the Saturday rodeo sponsored by the Gus Trent Horse Ranch in Plant City.