Heartbreak as horse put down after bypass collision with car
A horse who unseated his rider on a bridleway suffered fatal injuries in a collision with a car on a dual carriageway.
The rider from Cottagers Plot Equestrian in Grimsby, north Lincolnshire, fell from her 16hh gelding on Saturday (19 October). He travelled nearly two miles to the A46, where he collided with a car.
A Humberside Police spokesman said the driver was shaken but not injured. The gelding suffered serious injuries and was put down by a vet at the scene.
Yard owner Sophie Brown told H&H the teenage rider was uninjured in the incident.
“The horse went straight past the yard on to the main road. The poor lady driving was an innocent by-passer and it just happened to be her car,” she said.
“You never wish for anyone to witness something like this. The road is beside a Morrisons supermarket so it was very distressing for the public.”
Sophie said the community has pulled together to support the horse’s owner.
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“The has been a huge positive response from the public and they have been really supportive. On the day staff from a nearby McDonalds brought out hot drinks and provided water – people were helping in any way they could,” she said.
“People have been coming to the yard with cards for the owner and a lady dropped off some flowers. It has really pulled the yard together and everyone is working together as a team.”
In the current issue of Horse & Hound, 17 October 2019, don’t miss our big reveal of the shortlist for this year’s H&H Awards — time to get voting for your favourites. Plus, check out our ‘Horse hero’, we profile medal-winning showjumper Hearts Destiny, described as the “most beautiful horse ever”. In this week’s ‘Vet clinic’ find out how to trot up a horse properly and in H&H interview we talk to champion Flat jockey elect Oisin Murphy.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.