Trail rider run over by wagon speaks one year later

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo trail rides are already on their way to Memorial Park and one woman has a message of safety.

Kathy Pusser was involved in a trail ride accident last year while riding with Los Vaqueros.

A wagon hit her horse, Pusser fell and was run over by the wagon.

It happened on S. Rice in front of Condit Elementary as school children looked on. Bystanders recorded the accident on their cell phones.

"It's something I'll never forget. Something I hope I can make changes with," Pusser told Eyewitness News. She suffered many facial, head and back injuries and is still recovering.

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"I just hope all of this and bringing this back up makes people more aware of what needs to make a safe trail ride," she said.

Monday night, Texas Cattleman's Trail Ride was camped at the New Pine Needle Camp in Magnolia where Ricky Nelson said safety is always a priority.

"We are very, very, very safety conscious. This is our family. There are people out there. We don't want anyone hurt. One hurt would take away the reason we do this," explained Nelson, the Trail Boss. He added they have a safety director and numerous scouts for about 50 riders.

Each Trail Ride is an individual entity and each are responsible for their own safety precautions, according to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Pusser does not blame Los Vaqueros. They raised money for her. If she hadn't been hurt, she says she would probably be riding again this year. However, today, she is more cautious and for her first trail ride since the accident, chose one that's more rural and with fewer spectators.