The rodeo community is mourning the tragic loss of 19-year-old Emma Brungardt.
The C&I crew is sending our thoughts and prayers to the loved ones of Emma Brungardt, who passed away in a car accident on October 4. According to The Wichita Eagle, the cowgirl was involved in a single-car accident in Thomas County, Kansas, that injured four rodeo teammates and a work-study.
A rodeo athlete at Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas, Brungardt was planning to major in equine management and production and competed in goat tying, breakaway roping, and team roping.
She was crowned Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas in 2024. In a recent Facebook post, the Miss Rodeo Kansas Pageant described her as “a true gem and horsewoman who embodied what it meant to be a rodeo queen, always going above and beyond what was expected of her.”
Colby Community College also praised Brungardt’s character, writing “Emma was a sweet soul who picked up other people and always had a positive attitude. Her light will live on in and around the rodeo arena.”
Just days after her tragic passing, former teammates and other members of the rodeo community gathered to memorialize the cowgirl.
“We are sending prayers to ease the sorrow we are all feeling and that Emma is resting easy with her horses alongside the Lord,” the team wrote in a post.
According to an obituary, a funeral is scheduled for October 12. In lieu of flowers, a fund has been established to help with expenses.
