A MUM was crushed to death by a horse when it failed to clear a fence while she was competing, an inquest heard.
Sarah Jayne Yorke, 37, was taking part in a cross-country event at Aston-le-Walls Horse Trials in Northamptonshire when the tragedy unfolded.
WNSSarah Jayne Yorke died when her horse fell on top of her at a competition[/caption]
The primary school teacher’s horse failed to jump the third fence and landed on top of her, an inquest heard.
A court heard Sarah suffered chest and abdominal injuries following the horror on August 8.
Anne Pember, senior coroner for Northamptonshire, said other competitors had successfully completed the fence before Sarah’s accident.
The inquest was adjourned until February 11 when a full hearing will be held.
Tributes flooded in for Sarah, who had a seven-year-old daughter, following the tragedy.
Les Ball – headteacher at the school where Sarah worked – said: “Sarah was an inspirational teacher who was always full of energy and life.
“She shared her love of learning, and in particular sport, with every child and over many years she had such a positive impact on many children and adults alike.
“She was always passionate about encouraging children to be the best that they could be in everything that they did, but would also make time throughout each day to ensure that children had the opportunity for fun, play and laughter.
“Sarah always cared about others and was a great support to her colleagues whenever needed. She will be very deeply missed.”
Sarah and her horse were competing at the BE100 level of the competition for their first time together.
The division was designed for grassroots riders and horses to gain experience.
She was fresh off a win with her seven-year-old horse, in the BE90 class at trials at the Swalcliffe Park equestrian centre, near Banbury, Oxfordshire.
Following the accident, the three-day horse trials at Aston-le-Walls were abandoned.
British Eventing (BE) said previously medical professionals “immediately” attended the trials after Sarah fell.
Her horse, MGH HERA, was assessed by the on-site veterinary team, walked back to the stable, and was uninjured.
The BE statement added that “a full review of the incident will now be undertaken by British Eventing in line with our established protocols”.
WNSSarah’s horse failed to clear a fence[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
