An equestrian event in Venice, Florida, turned deadly on Sunday when a 15-year-old girl’s horse stumbled and fell, killing her in the process, officials shared.
The United States Equestrian Federation shared a news release about the incident Monday at the Fox Lea Farm Spring Concours I, saying that the girl, Hannah Serfass, was riding her 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Quaxx 2, when the horse tripped.
Serfass had been halfway through the course and had landed the number six jump successfully when the incident happened, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office shared with CBS News.
The office shared that as the horse galloped towards its next hurdle, it stumbled, causing the horse and Serfass to fall in the same direction. The federation shared that the horse suffered a “rotational fall.”
The horse then fell over on top of the teen, landing on her head, the sheriff’s office said.
“The EMT responded immediately, and Hannah was transported to Sarasota Memorial, where she was pronounced dead,” the federation said in its press release.
The federation stressed in its press release that the horse was not in the process of jumping when the incident occurred, also noting that it was “uninjured in the accident.”
Serfass was considered an up-and-coming young rider in the equestrian world, as the federation noted that she had a “passion for horses,” paired with a great work ethic and natural ability for the sport.
While tragic, Serfass’s death on horseback was not anything new to the state of Florida, as the state passed legislation in 2009 called “Nicole’s Law” following the death of a 12-year-old girl whose horse stumbled and fell, killing her in the process. The law was passed shortly after and requires all riders in the state under the age of 16 to wear helmets.
Fox Lea Farm released a statement on social media Monday, sharing their condolences with those involved in the tragedy.
“We send our sincere condolences to the family, trainer, friends, & the whole equestrian community,” the statement said. “We are all heartbroken.”
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