Latest news with #horse trials
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Heartbreaking footage shows tragic British rider Sarah Yorke jumping fences with her horse - two years before fatal fall at equestrian show
New heartbreaking footage has emerged of British rider Sarah Yorke who tragically died at a horse trials event on Friday. Video clips posted on social media show the horse-rider competing two years before the fatal incident last week. Underneath the clips, highlighting Ms Yorke's riding prowess, mourners sent their condolences. The tragic accident at Aston-le-Walls Horse Trial s in the village of the same name in Northamptonshire saw the athlete fall at the third fence. Ms Yorke was competing in the cross-country part of the eventing contest, a multi-stage equestrian sport which also has showjumping and dressage elements. In videos posted on her Instagram account before the event, the mother-of-one shared a montage of clips of her at Eland races in 2023. The clip showed the talented rider jumping over fences and hedges as she navigated the technical course on a chestnut horse Allegro. She captioned the post: 'Reliving my round from Eland last year.' Another post from 2023, filled with snaps from that year's riding season, showed Ms Yorke mid jump on her horse, dressed in full competition gear. In the pictures, the rider could be seen jumping over a variety of obstacles as she made her way round different courses. Ms Yorke's equestrian career was cut short after she was involved in a fatal fall last week. British Eventing (BE) said medical professionals 'immediately' attended the Aston-le-Walls Horse Trials after the primary school teacher and mother to a seven-year-old girl fell. But they said: 'Tragically, she could not be saved. 'Her horse, MGH HERA, was assessed by the on-site vets, walked back to the stable, and is uninjured.' Ms Yorke and her horse were competing at the BE100 level of the British Eventing (BE) competition for their first time together - a division designed for grassroots riders and horses to gain experience. She was fresh off a win last month with her seven-year-old horse, in the BE90 class at trials at the Swalcliffe Park equestrian centre, near Banbury, Oxfordshire. The three-day horse trials at Aston-le-Walls, which were due to enter their final day today, have now been abandoned after the accident. The equestrian centre had planned to host an unrelated showjumping and cross-country schooling day tomorrow which will go ahead. BE chief executive Rosie Williams said: 'On behalf of everyone at British Eventing, I would like to express our deepest condolences to Sarah's family and friends. 'The thoughts of the entire eventing community are with them at this incredibly difficult time.' The equestrian sporting body, announcing her death in 'deepest sadness', has said it will conduct a full formal review of the accident. It also encouraged eventers to support each other after the fatality: 'This is a deeply difficult moment for the eventing community.' The statement finished: 'To respect the family's privacy during this very sad time, no further details will be shared.' Ms Yorke's mare, Irish-bred from showjumping sire Herald III, had previously competed at BE100 with two other riders. The athlete had ridden in this division with another horse named Ringfort L'Allegro, who she evented with in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The BE Support Trust helpline, which is staffed by trained professionals, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on 07780 008877.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
British rider Sarah Yorke dies after fall during horse trials competition
A British rider died at a horse trials event after falling while competing. Sarah Yorke, 37, suffered the fatal accident on Friday at Aston-le-Walls Horse Trials in the Northamptonshire village of the same name. Yorke, who reports have described as a primary school teacher and mother to a young daughter, fell at the third fence during the showjumping part of the eventing contest. Her death was confirmed on Saturday in a statement released by British Eventing (BE). It read: 'It is with the deepest sadness that we confirm Sarah Yorke (GBR), 37, suffered a fatal accident while competing at Aston-le-Walls Horse Trials in Northamptonshire. 'Medical professionals attended immediately following her fall at fence 3; however, tragically, she could not be horse, MGH HERA, was assessed by the on-site vets, walked back to the stable, and is uninjured.' Rosie Williams, BE chief executive, added: 'On behalf of everyone at British Eventing, I would like to express our deepest condolences to Sarah's family and friends. The thoughts of the entire eventing community are with them at this incredibly difficult time.' BE said 'a full review will now be undertaken by British Eventing in line with our established protocols'. It also added: 'To respect the family's privacy during this very sad time, no further details will be shared. 'We appreciate this is a deeply difficult moment for the eventing community, and we encourage everyone to support one another. The British Eventing Support Trust Helpline is available 24/7 on 07780 008877 for anyone who would like to talk to a trained professional.' The three-day horse trials event at Aston-le-Walls, which was scheduled to enter its final day on Saturday, was abandoned after the accident. An unaffiliated showjumping and cross-country schooling day at the same venue was expected to go ahead as planned on Sunday.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Zara Tindall competes at The Hartpury International Horse Trials as daughter Mia, 10, watches her in action
Zara Tindall showed off her riding skills as she took part in the Hartpury International Horse Trials in Gloucestershire on Saturday. As the former Olympian equestrian competed, she was watched by her eldest child, daughter Mia, 10. The mother-of-three also shares daughter Lena, seven, and son Lucas, four, with her husband Mike Tindall. During the event, which started on August 5 and concludes on August 10, Zara took part in dressage, cross country, and showjumping. She was snapped dressed for the part, wearing white jodphurs and a white shirt, with a blue jacket and black helmet as she rode her horse Showtime. When she wasn't competing, Zara changed into a light blue hooded sweatshirt, dark blue gilet, baseball cap, and clear framed shades. Meanwhile Mia, who appeared excited to be at the event, and was snapped throwing her arms into the air, wore a matching blue sweatshirt with shorts. Another image shows the youngster rubbing Showtime's nose, suggesting that she too is interested in horses. Zara, 44, is a notable international equestrian competitor, with some impressive accomplishments. She won a gold medal at the European Eventing Championships in 2005 and a silver medal at the World Equestrian Games in 2006. Her love of horses was passed down through the family, with her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, famously having a strong connection with horse racing. And her mother Princess Anne was the first member of the British Royal family to compete in the Olympic games. Known for her love of horses, she took her passion to the highest level and rode the Queen's horse, Goodwill, in the three-day equestrian event. She finished 13th in the jumping section and placed 24th overall. Despite not winning a medal, the Princess Royal was made a Member of the International Olympic Committee. In 1988, she even accepted the Olympic flame in Athens ahead of the 2012 games. The princess had been set to compete in the 1972 Munich Games, but her hopes were dashed when horse Doublet was injured during a training run. Mia Tindall, 10, was snapped looking excited at the event on Saturday, throwing her arms in the air at one point Luckily, Anne was able to hand the torch down to her daughter, Zara, who won a silver medal when she competed in London in 2012. She missed out on the 2004 Athens games and Beijing 2008 due to injuries but made up for her past absence when the competition came to England. Zara made her family proud when she and her 11-year-old horse, High Kingdom, brought a medal home for Team GB. Last year, Princess Eugenie revealed how much the royals admire Zara's sporting achievements, in a heartwarming social media post. She took to Instagram to recall her cousin, Zara Tindall's performance in the London 2012 games, where the equestrian took home silver for Team GB, saying it was 'one of her favourite memories'. The mother-of-two affectionately referred to Zara as 'Z', alongside the post where she shared several pictures from the games where she is pictured cheering alongside her sister, Princess Beatrice. In the gushing social media post, Prince Andrew's daughter wrote: 'The Olympics is one of the best things in our world. 'It's such a special time watching superhuman athletes represent their countries, bringing people together and inspiring generations.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Tragedy at horse trials as British rider Sarah Yorke, 37, dies after fall during competition
Tragedy has struck at a horse trials event after British rider Sarah Yorke, 37, died following a fall during the competition. The heartbreaking accident happened yesterday at Aston-le-Walls Horse Trials in the village of the same name in Northamptonshire. The athlete fell at the third fence in the showjumping part of the eventing contest, a multi-stage equestrian sport which also has cross-country and dressage elements. British Eventing (BE) said medical professionals 'immediately' attended after the primary school teacher and mother to a seven-year-old girl fell. But they said: 'Tragically, she could not be saved. 'Her horse, MGH HERA, was assessed by the on-site vets, walked back to the stable, and is uninjured.' Ms Yorke and her horse were competing at the BE100 level of the British Eventing (BE) competition for their first time together - a division designed for grassroots riders and horses to gain experience. She was fresh off a win last month with her seven-year-old horse, in the BE90 class at trials at the Swalcliffe Park equestrian centre, near Banbury, Oxfordshire. The three-day horse trials at Aston-le-Walls, which were due to enter their final day today, have now been abandoned after the accident. The equestrian centre had planned to host an unrelated showjumping and cross-country schooling day tomorrow which will go ahead. BE chief executive Rosie Williams said: 'On behalf of everyone at British Eventing, I would like to express our deepest condolences to Sarah's family and friends. 'The thoughts of the entire eventing community are with them at this incredibly difficult time.' The equestrian sporting body, announcing her death in 'deepest sadness', has said it will conduct a full formal review of the accident. It also encouraged eventers to support each other after the fatality: 'This is a deeply difficult moment for the eventing community.' The statement finished: 'To respect the family's privacy during this very sad time, no further details will be shared.' Ms Yorke's mare, Irish-bred from showjumping sire Herald III, had previously competed at BE100 with two other riders. The athlete had ridden in this division with another horse named Ringfort L'Allegro, who she evented with in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The BE Support Trust helpline, which is staffed by trained professionals, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on 07780 008877.
