Horse rider, 42, who died in competition fall was ‘close to quitting’ after seeing rival get crushed in ‘freak accident’
A HORSE rider who died in a competition fall was close to quitting after seeing a rival crushed in a freak accident.
Kerry Donoghue, 42, tragically died while competing in a cross-country event in Penrith, Cumbria on Saturday.
An experienced rider, the married mum-of-one from Glasgow, had been riding Carneyhaugh Rua at the Penrith Horse Trials when the tragedy unfolded.
It has now emerged that Donoghue appeared on the Equestrian Performance Mindset podcast in May where she said she was on the “verge of giving up”, reports the Daily Mail.
The former NHS nurse explained how she had “lost my confidence” during a riding camp where her horse had spooked and forced her to question her future in the sport.
But Donoghue also recalled the moment she witnessed a “freak accident” where a horse crushed another rider.
She said at the time: “It’s one of those moments where the fragility of just being around horses is very much shown a spotlight on.”
Donoghue said she was more afraid of suffering life-changing injuries rather than dying.
“I was really afraid of getting hurt, but hurt in a very specific way,” she said.
She added: “I was afraid of how some people have had to live their lives, and the challenges that come with that.”
In April, Donoghue took to social media to praise her horse, Carneyhaugh Rua, who she referred to as “Roly Poly” as the “best orange pony ever” following an event in Penrith.
And in May, she posted a video of her tumbling off her horse and into water where she joked: “Some days you win – some days you swim!”
The other rider who died on Saturday was named as mum-of-two Sophie Fouracre, 34, who was fatally injured while riding a five-year-old mare, Rhubarbsfox Brittania, at Swalcliffe Park in Oxfordshire.
Ms Fouracre was said to be an experienced rider who had competed at the infamous Burghley Horse Trials.
The gruelling three-day event takes place every summer in Lincolnshire and it is amongst the toughest in the sport.
The mum had also ridden four horses for the late Queen and had 10 stables at her parents’ Hampshire farm.
British Eventing said medical teams “responded immediately and provided emergency treatment” to both riders on Saturday.
But despite their best efforts, neither could be saved.
Both horses were also examined after the incidents by the attending veterinary team – they were found to be uninjured.
Rosie Williams, Chief Executive of British Eventing, said: “The British Eventing community is heartbroken.
“On behalf of everyone at British Eventing, I want to extend our deepest condolences to Kerry and Sophie’s families, friends and loved ones at this devastating time.
“Our thoughts are also with their fellow competitors, organisers, officials, volunteers and everyone who has been affected by these tragic events.
“We are immensely grateful to the organisers, doctors, paramedics, veterinary teams, officials and emergency services at both events for the professionalism, compassion and care they showed in the most difficult of circumstances.
“The loss of two members of our eventing family on the same day is almost beyond words, and we know the sadness of these events will be felt profoundly across the sport for some time to come.”
The organisation said comprehensive reviews of both incidents will now take place.
Eventing is an equestrian event where a rider competes across three disciplines: dressage, cross-country and show jumping.