() — A 15-year-old horsewoman died during a competition in Florida after her horse fell on her head, according to authorities.
The accident happened when Hannah Serfass was riding her 12-year-old horse in a show jumping and hunting trial Sunday at the Fox Lea farm in Venice, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said.
The horse, a Holsteiner gelding named Quaxx, suffered a “rotational fall,” the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) said in a news release.
“The rider was approximately halfway through the course and had just completed jump #6. The horse landed the jump successfully and took 2-3 paces/canters to the next fence and for unknown reasons planted his left front hoof, which caused the horse to droop significantly to its left front hoof,” the sheriff’s office report said.
Serfass and the horse then began to fall in the same direction, with the horse “falling on the rider’s head to the ground,” according to the report.
A paramedic responded immediately and Serfass was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the USEF statement. The horse was uninjured.
Serfass “was a very talented, up-and-coming jockey” from Webster, Florida, the USEF said. “She was known for her passion for horses, her natural ability and her work ethic.”
“She showed nothing but dedication and love for this sport,” a verified GoFundMe memorial page said of Serfass.
“We send our sincere condolences to the family, trainer, friends and the entire equestrian community. We are all heartbroken,” Fox Lea Farm said in a statement on Facebook.
The USEF will review the accident “to find out what we can do to minimize the risks and increase safety in equestrian sport,” it said in its statement.
