Horses Injured In OKC Rollover Crash Find Help At NRHA Futurity

There was a close call for a family on a cross country road trip with their horses this weekend. Their trailer hit a bump on an Oklahoma City interstate and rolled three times early Saturday, with the horses still inside

The crash could not have happened in a better place, though. Hundreds of horses from all over the world are in town for the crown jewel competition community, the National Reining Horse Association Futurity. 

Just down the street from the Futurity meet, the Magdalenos almost met tragedy. As the couple drove from Indiana to Arizona, their horses Gents and Valentine tumbled in their trailer, where they were stuck lying on top of each other until first responders cut the metal to get them out.

Professional horse trainer Bud Lyon was on his way back to the state fairgrounds from an interview on News 9 when he saw the commotion.

He says, “We immediately recognized that there was some sort of issue, and that these folks were in distress.”

The horses' hind quarters were battered and bruised, and Gents had cuts on his forehead and a broken tooth. Luckily, world class help was nearby.

“I have seen a lot of cases of emergencies, but not an accident that bad,” says veterinarian Lena Littmann.

Littman and the Equine Sports Medicine team rushed over to check the animals. They arrived just a few minutes after they got the call, helping keep the injuries minimal.

Littman says, “Imagine that happening somewhere, out nowhere. Nobody is around, no clinic, no veterinarians to come and help, that would have been really bad.”

Instead, the reining horse community rallied their forces to get the Magdalenos and their horses back on their feet, even donating a trailer to get them on the road again.

Lyon says, “We always go out of our way to do whatever we can because that’s what we would want if we were in that position.”

The family has checked in and say they made it safely to their destination. They are grateful for the Oklahomans who helped get them there.