Hundreds of spectators looked on as Zachary Naegel was 'busted' off his animal at the Conley Invitation Bull Riding competition in Palmetto, Florida, USA, on 7 February. The 24-year-old made the 11-hour trek from his home in Amity, Louisiana, to take part in the competition and was left with life-threatening injuries.

In rodeo, horn tipping is standard practice — meaning the bulls’ horns are blunted to lessen, but not eliminate, the chances of riders getting gored. However, that didn’t stop this “freak” accident from occurring.

Bull rider Zach Naegele, 24, has said he's "blessed to be alive" after he took a horn 'straight to the neck' and lost 'two gallons of blood' in a 'freak accident' in Florida on Feb. 7

A professional rodeo rider in Florida almost bled to death when he was impaled in the neck by a bull horn in front of hundreds of horrified spectators after his steed threw him off

A young bull rider nearly died after a freak accident at a recent event caused a gruesome injury in front of horrified spectators. 24-year-old Zachary Naegele was competing in the Conley Invitational in Palmetto,