Small pony Humble died May 26 at the Devon Horse Show in Devon, Pa. Humble was in a barn on the show grounds when he died.
Humble, a 9-year-old Welsh pony by Blue Rain, was owned by Amber Hill Farm. He’d competed the day before in the small pony hunter division.
Humble had been a regular competitor on the A circuit, finishing overall eighth at USEF Pony Finals (Ky.) in that division last year.
“This has been a terrible tragedy for the Mandarino family, and we do not wish to comment any further,” said Elizabeth Mandarino, owner of Amber Hill Farm in Bedminster, N.J.
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David Distler, who has managed Devon since 1985, has been involved with the show since 1974 and managed many other shows over the years, said he received a call from steward Jim LaHood just before 7 a.m. that a pony had died.
According to Distler, the horse show will cooperate however they can with the U.S. Equestrian Federation. According to Donna Rocchetti, who is also serving as a steward at Devon, the first point of protocol is to call the USEF Emergency Hotline. The stewards will also report the event in detail to the USEF.
The pony was transported the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center for a necropsy, a procedure which, according to Rocchetti, was not ordered by the USEF. LaHood declined to comment on the incident.
