@eventingnation the car, post collision. @treventing deserves so much credit for how he dealt with situation pic.twitter.com/XAJPBbzwoR
— K V Studios (@kvstudiosuk) August 11, 2013
On Saturday, a car and a horse collided on cross-country at Hartpury Horse Trials in Gloucestershire, England. Tom Rowland, riding W. Iridium, impacted an official vehicle at a crossing point as he was on course in the CCI**. Thankfully, both horse and rider are okay. From the Hartpury website:
Joint statement from Claire Dubowski, Owner of W. Iridium and Russell Marchant, Hartpury College Principal and President of the Organising Committee for the Hartpury Horse Trials:
“We are working with all parties to investigate the incident yesterday when an official’s car collided with Tom Rowland riding W. Iridium on the cross country course for the CCI** at Hartpury College. The incident was deeply disappointing for Tom and the owners, as Tom was unable to finish the competition through no fault of his own or the horse. Up until this incident, Tom and W. Iridium were going well around the course. Thankfully, Tom was able to continue competing at Hartpury on his one star horse and was placed eighth and received the prize for the top under 25 year old rider for the CCI *.
The horse received immediate veterinary attention and was monitored by the Hartpury veterinary team. At this stage it seems the horse is relatively unscathed, but will continue to be monitored and hopefully will compete again in the autumn.
Both the College and the horse’s connections will continue to work together to ensure that, through the investigation, we learn from this and ensure the event organising committee take all the steps necessary to minimise the risk of an incident like this happening again.”
The Horse & Hound reports that the driver of the car was the event’s director, Sarah Phillips. The event is refunding his entry fees and will pay for the horse’s resulting veterinary care.
