Two horse riders have died within hours of each other at separate competitions, British Eventing has confirmed.
Sophie Fouracre, 34, was fatally injured in a cross-country accident while riding Rhubarbsfox Brittania at Swalcliffe Park in Oxfordshire.
Shortly afterwards, 42-year-old Kerry Donoghue died while riding Carneyhaugh Rua in another event at Penrith in Cumbria.
Medics provided emergency treatment at both venues on Saturday, with an air ambulance dispatched to Frenchfield Farm in Penrith, but neither woman could be saved. Their horses were uninjured.
Fellow riders who knew Ms Fouracre described it as a ‘horrific day for equestrianism’.
In a statement, British Eventing chief executive Rosie Williams said the community was ‘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.
Two horse riders have died within hours of each other at separate competitions, British Eventing has confirmed (file photo)
‘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.
Responding to the news of Ms Fouracre’s death online, riders described her as ‘truly talented and special’.
‘Absolutely devastating,’ another wrote. ‘You will be incredibly missed. What a wonderful person.’
British Eventing – the governing body for the sport – initially issued two statements on Saturday saying there had been ‘serious incidents’ at the events, which had both been abandoned for the weekend.
It is now undertaking reviews of both accidents.
The mental health charity Riders Minds responded to the ‘desperately sad news’ by offering support to members of the eventing community.
Eventing consists of three phases – dressage, showjumping and cross-country. Both incidents on Saturday took place during the cross-country phase.
Deaths are rare in the sport, but there have been several tragic accidents in recent years.
In May 2024, Georgie Campbell, 36, died after her horse fell and landed on her at Bicton International Horse Trials in Devon.
And last August, 37-year-old British rider Sarah Yorke suffered a fatal accident during the cross-country phase of Aston-le-Walls horse trials.
In 2019, 15-year-old British event rider Iona Sclater died during a training session at home, when her pony clipped a hay bale while jumping, somersaulted and landed on her.
