Family mourns death of 19-year-old after bull-riding accident

ELK RIDGE, Utah County – An Elk Ridge family is mourning the loss of their 19-year-old son who died in a bull riding accident over the weekend.

They spoke to KSL-TV and shared more about him, saying he inspired them to live life to the fullest.

It was Saturday evening when Roy and Megan Anderson got the call that their son, Tait Anderson, would be flying to Utah Valley Hospital in a medical helicopter. They say he lived to ride bulls, and if he could say anything now, he would tell others: “Live your dream.”

“He kept us on our toes, there was never a dull moment with Tait,” said Roy Anderson.

The Andersons said their son’s love of bull riding began when he was three years old.

“He was riding on the back of the couch. All he could think of was bull riding,” he said.

Tait Anderson was planning his next rodeo Saturday night when his passion turned deadly. Roy Anderson received the call from one of Tait Anderson’s colleagues around 6 p.m.

A bad situation

“They told us the bull stepped on his sternum and we should get there as quickly as possible,” he said.

The Andersons knew the situation was serious. Her son was flown to Utah Valley Hospital.

“I think we were only there 40 minutes before we got the news that he didn’t make it,” he said.

As Megan Anderson speaks about him now, she clutches his cross.

“He lived for bull riding. He lived, breathed, loved, that was his language; it was bull riding,” she said.

The Andersons will miss his joy of life, his passion for rodeo and his enthusiasm that infected everyone around him.

“He just loved to play and he loved making people happy,” he said.

“This child could have been a child for life,” she said.

There is a GoFundMe* to help the family with expenses.

*KSL.com does not guarantee that funds deposited into the account will be used for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering making a deposit into the Account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.