Family and friends of Peyton D. Jackson say they will always remember how fearless he was.

The 16-year-old was killed by a bull Saturday night during youth bullriding competition at the Muskogee Fairgrounds.

The only child of Tom and Becky Jackson of Alma, Ark., he was in 10th grade at Alma High School.

“He was the funniest person, and he never met a stranger,” Becky said. “He had no fear of anything; that’s why he was a bull rider.”

Peyton was a good student and had a strong interest in outdoor sports.

“He kept a 3.5 GPA and he was an avid hunter and fisherman,” Becky said. “He had a lot of friends. There will be a lot of people at this funeral.”

Becky said her son got interested in rodeo through school friends who were doing bareback riding. Peyton had been riding bulls for about six months.

Amanda Carr, 15, remembered her friend Peyton with great affection.

“He was always just real ornery, but he could make you laugh,” she said. “He was red headed; always on fire. He was a little cowboy.”

Peyton would have graduated in 2010. His classmate and lifelong friend Brock Stepp, 16, said he admired his late friend.

“He was fearless,” Stepp said. “He would do anything. And he was always honest with me. We always went hunting; he was a real good shot. He got an eight-point buck whitetail about a month or two ago.”

Stepp said the two had plans to go to Wyoming after completing school, so they could visit friends and go hunting.

Melinda Fairchild of Oktaha said she saw the accident happen.

“He got his 8-second ride,” she said. “He was doing real well. Where the bull was bucking, was near the chutes and the fence. When the boy came to the ground, he was kind of on his side, almost to his stomach. That bull kicked up, and when he came down, his back feet landed right there on the boy’s back and side. He got up, took about three to four steps, and collapsed and hit the ground.”

Personnel from Muskogee County Emergency Medical Service were already on the scene and responded immediately. They attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, then transported Peyton to Muskogee Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Fairchild described the accident as an “awful tragedy,” and said it made her think of her own 16-year-old son, Cody.

“My boy just started riding about four months ago,” she said. “They say bull riding is the most dangerous sport there is. It’s something he wants to do. Before every bull that he gets on, he kneels down and prays.”

Fairchild expressed sympathy for Peyton’s family.

“Our prayers are with his family,” she said.

Reach Keith Purtell at 918-684-2925 or Click Here to Send Email