Young Powell woman recovering after near-fatal horse accident

Posted 9/3/19

One minute Stephanie Ramsey was watching her daughter practicing on horseback for the Cody Nite Rodeo. The next minute she was covered in her daughter’s blood and calling for help.

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Young Powell woman recovering after near-fatal horse accident

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One minute Stephanie Ramsey was watching her daughter practicing on horseback for the Cody Nite Rodeo. The next minute she was covered in her daughter’s blood and calling for help.

While Rylee practiced with flags on Tuesday, Aug. 27, a strong gust of wind pushed through the canyon to the west and spooked her horse. It took off, Rylee in the saddle desperately trying to control BJ, the quarterhorse. They hit some gravel and went down in the arena.

Rylee stayed in the saddle and came back up as BJ recovered. Then Rylee lost her grip while holding the reins in one hand and trying to get her flag out of its boot with the other. The horse turned sharply, throwing Rylee.

She hit hard, landing on her head. “She had lacerations on all sides of her body and was bleeding profusely,” Stephanie said.

The arena was almost deserted but some young riders saw the accident and called 911. Stephanie held her 95-pound daughter in her arms as they waited for help to arrive; Rylee was conscious but distant.

“She was with me the entire time, but doesn’t remember anything until she woke up in the hospital.”

Rylee was rushed to Cody Regional Health with multiple lacerations, a linear skull fracture and a severe concussion.

After treatment, the hospital was ready to release her, Stephanie said. But the mother knew something wasn’t right. Doctors decided to do a CAT scan and found Rylee’s brain was bleeding.

She was immediately rushed to Billings Clinic by ambulance for emergency care. Rylee was on the same floor of the ICU as Ethan Asher — a family friend and Powell High School student who suffered serious injuries after rolling his truck earlier on Aug. 27.

“It has been a very hard week in our little town,” Stephanie said Friday.

Back in the dirt of the arena, cradling her daughter, Stephanie’s mind was racing. She thought about Rylee’s recent back surgery to help with a degenerative disc. The surgery was one year earlier to the day. She thought about how proud she was last Christmas, as Rylee volunteered her time to help children in foster care. Then there was her first trip abroad, to Ireland, and a showing at the state fair, where Rylee was awarded Grand Champion Showman with her prize goat. “All of it went through my brain so fast,” Stephanie said.

Rylee, who graduated from the Shoshone Learning Center in the spring, was preparing to move to Billings to study radiology at Montana State University. She was already packed and excited to start the new chapter of her life.

On Thursday, Stephanie and husband, Rick, were able to bring Rylee home from Billings, but she has to rest. “She has to remain low key,” Stephanie said. “The next six weeks are critical.”

Rylee was crowned Miss Cody Stampede for the 2020 season, so her mother expects to be back in the arena watching her daughter riding again.

“[Rylee] will do it,” she said, “but it will take a lot of courage to get back on a horse.”

It will also be hard for Stephanie and Rick.

“It will be hard for us to watch,” Stephanie said, her voice cracking as she fought back tears. “But you raise your children to give them wings.”

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