Event rider suffers fatal injuries in rotational fall

A US event rider has died as a result of injuries she sustained in a rotational fall at a competition this weekend.

Jennifer Chapin and her horse Joinem fell in the cross-country warm-up at the Green Mountain Horse Association’s (GMHA) Festival of Eventing, in South Woodstock, Vermont, United States, on Sunday (11 August).

Jennifer, who was 32 and from Wenham, Massachusetts, was taken to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for treatment but died as a result of her injuries.

Her horse, a 12-year-old thoroughbred gelding, was not injured.

In a statement, the US Eventing Association said it “sends its sincerest condolences to Chapin’s family, friends, and connections”.

Jennifer had been competing Aisling Carroll’s thoroughbred in USEA events since October last year, in preliminary classes (equivalent to novice British Eventing competitions) and at one international CIC1* class, (now CCI2*-S) in which the combination finished 12^th.

She is the second US event rider to die as a result of a cross-country fall this year; 13-year-old Ashley Stout and her horse Avant Garde died after a schooling accident, believed to be a rotational fall, at Halfmoon Township, Pennsylvania, on 11 July.

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Eleanor Jones

H&H news editor

Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.