another eventing death on XC in the UK

[snoopy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7551980.stm

[belambi]

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2008/08/047.shtml

[Badger]

Do you know if it was at a jump with a frangible pin? I ask because someone alluded to that on the Horse and Hound forum:

"I looked up her BE record wondering if she had perhaps fallen before, but the horse and rider had moved progressively up over time, and had lots of decent placings, this sounds like a mistake with tragic consequences. I am sad to hear the frangible fence didn't save her, and I hope more research will be done into trying to improve the design. "

[Ajierene]

The articles do not give much information. Did the woman fall off the horse or did they both fall? From the articles it sounds like she fell off, but I would like to know more.

[snoopy]

I know nothing more that the BBC article...my uncle called to let me know it was just on BBC nightly news....and of course asked me not to jump anymore, though he was the one who always made it a point to come to my horse trials over the years. I keep telling him that I do this no longer.

[BaroquePony]

Ugh.

That's unfortunate.

My father taught me to ride and then he took me to a cavalry officer for training when I was about eleven and he stayed to watch all of my lessons. I was jumping six foot spreads.

Over my lifetime with horses, it was my father that finally asked me to stop jumping.

The irony. He was ok with me doing dressage and long dstance riding though. Go figure.

[Carol Ames]

But the sport is high risk. Everyone knows that - you get on a horse and you don't know how it will react.":no:

[Carol Ames]

What level was she competing? anyone know what type fence it was?:no:

[SpottedCat]

Apparently it was at the coffin - I walked the course on Friday and there was nothing obviously trappy about the fence. She was competing at 2* level which is international intermediate level in the UK but I don't know how it equates in the USA.

This is the statement from the event:
http://www.hartpury.ac.uk/equine/eventing/

[snoopy]

NOV=prelim
INT=INt
ADV=ADV

UK to US conversion

[JER]

A few more details here:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/265296.html

Emma Jonathan, 23, was competing in the CCI** when she had a fatal rotational horse fall at fence 19, an upright rail which was followed by an open ditch (fence 19a) and a skinny (fence 20b).

Another rotational fall. Not sure whether the 'upright rail' had a frangible pin or whether it could have had one.

[canterlope]

If she was competing in a 2*, it was an FEI International event which means no conversion from UK to US is necessary.

[SpottedCat]

From what I have heard it did have a frangible pin but the horse hit it in such a way that it did not break. It was a long, hilly course - I walked it thinking that if I did the CCI* there next year then my horse would need to be considerably fitter for that than I would need him to be for Aldon CCI* which I was aiming at this October. They had completed the CCI** at Longleat this year which was equally hilly and a very technical 2* IMO, so I am not for one second suggesting they were not up to the challenge. I think it was one of those unfortunate and tragic things, terribly sad.

[Ajierene]

Interesting that after this fall, the organizers stopped the event altogether. No one rode the course after the fall and those that did not ride could do show jumping the next day, but it hurts their chances for qualifying for other shows, doesn't it?

[SpottedCat]

I would have been amazed if they hadn't stopped the XC TBH - who is going to want to ride round a course after that? Just out of respect for the family it was the right thing to do - only about 10 combinations had been XC at that point and the weather was vile - very windy and wet.

The CCI* finished their event, the CCI** was run as combined training, the CCI*** ran a complete event.

Yes, it will affect qualifications, though in the past British Eventing have been known to waive this for certain combinations due to events like this - last year so many events were cancelled in the UK that they altered the qualification requirements for some events as people couldn't get the runs they needed to be qualified. I don't know what will happen in this case though.

The final results are here:
http://www.bdwp.co.uk/cgi-bin/3di.pl?fn=hp208.csv

ETA: Those who had been XC were allowed to SJ for qualifications but no prize money etc was given from what I heard.

[blackwly]

I would have been amazed if they hadn't stopped the XC TBH - who is going to want to ride round a course after that? Just out of respect for the family it was the right thing to do .

Hate to say it but here in the states riding out on a course after someone (horse or human) has just expired is getting to be the norm...

A highly creepy feeling IMO.

[Ajierene]

Hate to say it but here in the states riding out on a course after someone (horse or human) has just expired is getting to be the norm...

A highly creepy feeling IMO.

That's what I was referring to. After all the accidents I have seen - the rest of the competitors still run the course.

[SpottedCat]

Jeeze, that's not nice for you guys. We seem to stop that days competition in that class if it is a human - not so if it is a horse. The following day is run at the discretion of the organisers usually following the families wishes. I guess the obvious exception is if it is one of the big 3 or 4 star events, but at the lower levels if someone has been killed then they seem to stop, which IMO is the right thing to do.

[Equibrit]

There is police involvement in deaths of this kind - they would have had the course closed.

"The spokeswoman said: "The competition is continuing on the wishes of Emma's parents. They said there is no way Emma would have wanted the competition stopped." She said the cross-country section of the competition, which has been sealed off by police investigating the death, had been abandoned although other disciplines were still going ahead."

[Jealoushe]

Jingles to the family, friends, horses and grooms...