Ace Patton Ashton, an 18-year-old rising rodeo star set to begin college, was killed in a freak accident, according to local authorities.
Ashford, who was described as a "most cherished young member" of the community in Lott, Texas, was attending to a sick calf when a nearby horse got spooked and tangled his leg, dragging him a lengthy distance, the Lott Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) told KKTV.
“Somehow, the man’s leg got tangled and the horse [dragged] him quite a distance in an open field,” the department said.
Ashton was an accomplished rider who began competing in rodeo at the age of 4 and was set to compete for Hill College, according to the Team Roping Journal.
“He was about as pure as they get. He was gold,” said Cody Snow, a National Finals Rodeo roper, via the Team Roping Journal.
A Facebook post shared by the Farmers Insurance business account for Troy Ashford, Ace's father, described the teenager as an "amazing and humble young man" in a post shared on his business Facebook account.
"Our hearts are extremely saddened for the Ashford family as they lost their youngest son in a tragic horse accident on Monday," the post stated. "We pray for peace and comfort for all the family and friends. If you knew Ace Ashford, you knew an amazing and humble young man. Recent high school graduate on his way to his college career. He was taken from us too soon and we are all in mourning."
"Ace—our heart hurts and we will never truly understand why, but we know you are flying high with the greatest man possible and are no longer in pain," the post continued. "We will always love you!"