Trainer Kelley Farmer confirmed that Bases Loaded was uninjured after a big stumble during the WCHR Spectacular of Palm Beach evening class on Saturday, Feb. 18. The event was broadcast live on USEF Network.

Lillie Keenan was riding the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood, who stumbled badly upon landing from an in-and-out. Keenan tumbled off the side, unhurt. When she got to her feet and began to lead the horse out of the ring he was limping badly. Farmer, who had several rides of her own in the class, ran into the ring. After a few minutes of worrying, they led the gelding out the side of the International Ring. He looked much more comfortable at that point, and though a two-horse trailer waited there, he was well enough to walk back to the farm on his own comfortably. 

“He’s perfect; he’s in his paddock eating grass in Wellington,” said Farmer on Monday, Feb. 20. “I think he caught his toe in the footing when he landed. He was a little sore in the morning when we took him out, but today he’s perfectly sound, and he’ll be back showing with his owner this weekend.”

Farmer stressed that the incident was a freak accident and not Keenan’s fault.

Bases Loaded has been showing with owner Ava Free in the children’s hunter and low children’s hunters, and Farmer has shown him in the high performance hunter division earlier in the week. Keenan rode him earlier that week, finishing second in the small junior hunter, 15 and under, stakes.