Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen sustained multiple internal injuries after he was bucked off a horse he was riding on Sunday, according to his office. Pillen’s office said Monday that his injuries included minor lacerations to his spleen and kidney and a partially collapsed lung caused by broken ribs.
Pillen had been riding a new horse with members of his family when the incident occurred, his office said. The 68-year-old Republican was initially taken to Columbus Community Hospital and then, “out of an abundance of caution,” to Omaha’s University of Nebraska Medical Center, his office initially said.
“Gov. Pillen was transported to Nebraska Medicine Sunday afternoon after a horseback riding accident while riding with his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter near Columbus,” Pillen’s office said in a follow-up statement Monday. “The governor’s injuries included minor lacerations to his spleen and kidney, seven broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung resulting from the rib damage, and a minor fracture in one of his vertebrae. There were no injuries to his neck, head, nervous system or additional internal organs.”
Pillen’s office said he is in “stable condition and is expected to remain in the hospital a few days for observation, particularly for the recovery of his rib injuries.” He expects to conduct work from his hospital room.
“In summary, the governor’s injuries were serious but not life-threatening and could have been much worse,” his office said.
The governor underwent what’s called a coil embolization, a procedure to address minor bleeding from his spleen. His office said the procedure took less than an hour and included anesthesia, during which time, Nebraska Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly briefly acted as governor.
Pillen’s office called the procedure a “success” and said Pillen caught the second half a Nebraska basketball game from his hospital room, while talking with his family and team.
Pillen is currently in his first term as governor, having been elected in 2022 after former Gov. Pete Ricketts was term-limited. Pillen then appointed Ricketts to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat vacated when Ben Sasse resigned to become president of the University of Florida.