Accomplished roper killed in accident involving horse just before starting college

WACO, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) - A Texas community is mourning a “most cherished young member” after he was tragically killed in an accident involving a horse.

Ace Patton Ashford died on Aug. 12 while he was tending to a sick calf.

KWTX reported that first responders rushed to a location about a mile west of Highway 7 in the Chilton, Texas area just after 8 a.m.

Ashford had recently graduated from Rosebud-Lott High School.

According to the Lott Volunteer Fire Department, Ashford was working on the sick calf when a nearby horse got spooked.

“Somehow, the man’s leg got tangled and the horse [dragged] him quite a distance in an open field,” the fire department said.

Paramedics responded, airlifting Ashford to a hospital. Officials said they found him suffering from head injuries, but that he was breathing and had a pulse.

First responders, however, described Ashford as being in “bad shape” before he died from his injuries.

According to The Team Roping Journal, Ashford was an accomplished roper who was set to rodeo for Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas, in the fall.

“The news of Ace’s untimely death has sent shockwaves through the community, as those who knew and loved him struggle to come to terms with the loss of a young man whose life was filled with promise, kindness, and an extraordinary sense of humility,” an obituary states.

The obituary continues: “Ace Ashford was more than just a bright and promising student; he was a beloved son, brother, friend, and community member who touched the lives of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”