Bull meets its demise after a run through the crowd at State Fair

By Mary Lynn Smith and Maria Baca, Star Tribune

Last update: August 31, 2007 - 9:50 PM

The running of the bulls was an unexpected feature event on Friday at the Minnesota State Fair.

In a brief, frenzied moment, an angry bull charged through the fairgrounds, barreled past fairgoers, butted a faded red fire hydrant and died. No one was injured. And no damage was done to fair exhibits. "Even our fire hydrant is OK and good to go," said fair spokeswoman Brienna Schuette.

Usually, mornings are much quieter on the fairgrounds.

Leo Pritschet of Oakdale was daydreaming while he dished up Pronto Pups, Tim Radtke of Lakeville was serving Icees and Matt McClay of Shoreview was slinging hot dogs and fried onions.

But then the crowd parted. Shouts erupted. And there it was: a black bull careening down the street.

"He was trying to get away from something," Radtke said.

The bull looked to be headed right to McClay's Almost a Footlong Hot Dog Stand. Then he veered away.

Phew. That was close.

Fairgoers casually strolling the street ran and scattered.

"There were a lot of people on the grounds at that time because when I got to the scene there were about 250 people standing around the bull," said Steve Pooch, deputy general manager of competition at the fair.

Were they afraid?

"I would be," Pooch said. "You have a 1,600- to 1,700-pound animal running at you, you don't want to get in its way."

Saber, the 1-year-old bull, apparently had set his sights on a fairgoer, but the man jumped out of the way, Pooch said. Then the bull turned and saw the fire hydrant, across the street from the Midwest Dairy Association's All-You-Can-Drink Milk stand. "I guess he decided to take it out on the fire hydrant," Pooch said.

A veterinarian on the scene immediately checked for a heartbeat and found none. "I don't think he felt any pain," Pooch said.

Before his short visit to the State Fair on Friday, Saber had never been off the family farm in Morris, Minn.

"He was always fine at home," said Jim Wulf, Saber's owner. "He's been around the kids there every day."

Wulf has shown cattle at the fair for nearly 30 years, and none of his animals have ever made a break before. But Saber came out of the trailer angry. Maybe it was the three-hour drive from Morris. Maybe he was uneasy about being with so many people.

"Something got him excited," Wulf said. "People have to remember that fair animals are not pets. They need to be treated responsibly."

Saber shook loose from the halter as he was being led out of the trailer. He was gone in an instant, with 16-year-old Travis Wulf on his trail.

"You're pretty helpless in that situation," Jim Wulf said.

The bull run was a first for Pooch, who has worked with livestock at the fair for 30 years. But animal mishaps do happen. Every now and then an animal will die because it can't handle the stress of a truck ride or the commotion of the fair crowds. One year, a steer more accustomed to an air-conditioned barn keeled over from a heart attack. "It just couldn't take the heat or humidity," Pooch said.

And then there was the calf that jumped over the baby stroller. "It didn't hit the stroller but you just cringe when something like that happens," Pooch said.

Jim Wulf, who had hoped to show Saber in today's livestock competition and then put him on the market in the spring, likely is out $4,000 to $6,000. Saber's body was taken to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, where he was chemically cremated.

"It's a pretty good loss," Wulf "But were just so thankful that no one got hurt."

So is Pooch. "Bulls are replaceable."

mlsmith@startribune.com • 612-673-4788 mbaca@startribune.com • 612-673-4409

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