Nevada governor breaks hip in horse accident, will have surgery in Reno on Wednesday

Nev. gov to have surgery on hip after horse fall

RENO, Nev. — Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons will have surgery to repair a broken hip after he was bucked by a horse on a private ranch north of Reno.

Gibbons’ spokesman Dan Burns says the Republican governor broke the hip in two places. He is scheduled to have the operation Wednesday, and doctors expect it to take about 90 minutes.

Burns says Gibbons is expected to remain hospitalized at least until Friday, but he should make a full recovery.

Gibbons was thrown by a young horse at a ranch north of Pyramid Lake around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. He was taken by ambulance to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno.

Gibbons was elected in 2006. He was defeated by Brian Sandoval in the June Republican primary.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A spokesman for Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons says the Republican was thrown from a horse at a ranch and was taken by ambulance to a Reno medical center.

Daniel Burns, the governor’s press secretary, told the Reno Gazette-Journal late Tuesday that the extent of Gibbons’ injuries wasn’t clear. But he says the 65-year-old was moving his arms and legs and was coherent and alert.

Burns says Gibbons was helping break a young horse at a ranch north of Pyramid Lake in northern Nevada when the horse threw him at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The governor was given pain medication and was expected to be hospitalized overnight.

Gibbons was elected governor in 2006. He was defeated by fellow Republican Brian Sandoval in the June GOP primary.

Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, www.rgj.com