Murdered teen remembered at RDA championships
Murdered teenager Kirstie Foster will be remembered this month by the Riding for the Disabled Association at their national championships (11-12 July).
Keen horse rider Kirstie, 15, and her mother, Jill, were shot last August by Kirstie’s father, Chris, who then set fire to their Shropshire home before killing himself.
The Kirstie Foster Trophy will be presented by members of her family at the RDA championships at Hartpury College.
“Kirstie was a keen and smart young horsewoman and her family wanted something done in her memory so they contacted us,” championship chairman Doug Smith told H&H.
“Because Kirstie was always so smartly turned out the trophy will be awarded to best turned out junior rider on the Saturday.”
More than 300 competitors from 8 to 80 years old will be taking part in the event.
“The championships is the biggest of its type in the horse world,” added Mr Smith. “Our oldest competitor Paul Downs is taking part in the dressage — he took part in his first dressage competition just days before his 80th birthday.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.