Wife Of College Rodeo Coach Suffers Life-Altering Injury In Freak Horse Accident
on May 06, 2026
Presley Whitaker, the wife of Montana State University Rodeo coach Kyle Whitaker, needs prayers after a devastating accident at their home.
The rodeo community is rallying around one of its own after a “gruesome” incident left Presley Whitaker with life-altering injuries.
On Monday night, Presley was riding a horse at her Bozeman, Montana, home when she was thrown and dragged around by the animal after getting a rope wrapped around her arm. Presley’s husband, Kyle, shared details in a Facebook post on Tuesday. He wrote, “Presley … was drug around until she hit a fence, which broke her jaw and severed her hand. She was flown to Salt Lake City last night and they attempted to reattach her hand, but there was too much damage done already.”
Kyle wrote that Presley would be undergoing a jaw surgery and having “more work on the amputation.” He requested prayers for his wife as she adjusts to losing her right hand.
Kyle, who became head coach of the MSU rodeo team in 2021, acknowledged how the rodeo family has support him and his wife since the accident. He noted that private planes were donated to transport him and Presley’s mom to Salt Lake City to be with her.
He also thanked those who are helping take care of their two children, and those who were at the scene of the accident and helped. “It was a gruesome scene and they handled it like pros.”
In an update shared on Wednesday via a GoFundMe account set up for the Whitakers, the organizer wrote:
“Last night they were concerned with neck fracture so they did a MRI, everything turned out fine no fracture. She is also on a feeding tube and responding well to that.”
She added, “This morning they are pulling her out of her induced coma to conduct another surgery on her arm to check for debris and any further repairs at this time. Friday she will have her jaw surgery to repair that damage.”
About Kyle Whitaker
Kyle Whitaker was a former college rodeo star from Nebraska. Son of Linderman Award legend Chip Whitaker, Kyle was a professional tie-down roper, steer wrestler and saddle bronc rider.
According to his MSU bio, Whitaker boasts “one of the most acclaimed careers in professional rodeo history.”
He first won the Linderman Award ten times between 1997 and 2018. He won the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo all-around titles twice (2002 and 2008) as a tie-down roper, steer wrestler, and saddle bronc rider.
Under his leadership, the Montana State University men’s and women’s rodeo teams have seen national success.
Just one day before Presley Whitaker’s horrific accident, Kyle was recognized as the Big Sky Region Coach of the Year. His team has been preparing for the June College National Finals Rodeo, which will be held in Casper, Wyoming.
MSU assistant rodeo coach Savanna Bolich told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that Whitaker is planning to accompany his team to the national competition.
“We’re going to see what their situation is. But, as of now, he’s planning on going. We have a lot of momentum this year, and it’s really important to him to be there for the team,” Bolich said. “Rodeo people are resilient.”
