The equestrian community was left in mourning over the holiday weekend following the tragic death of one of its rising stars in a fatal accident.
Georgie Campbell, a prominent figure in horseback riding, lost her life while competing at the Bicton International Horse Trials in Devon, England. According to E News, Campbell’s mare stumbled over a fence, resulting in the 37-year-old rider’s untimely death.
“Medical professionals attended immediately following her fall at fence 5b however, unfortunately, she could not be saved,” British Eventing, the sport’s national governing body, stated. “The horse, Global Quest, was assessed by the on-site vets and walked back to the stable and is uninjured.
“To respect the family’s privacy at this extremely difficult and sad time, no further details will be shared,” the organization added.
The Guardian noted that a significant emergency response team, including an air ambulance, double-crewed land ambulance, operations officer, and hazardous area response team, arrived at the scene.
Campbell’s career was illustrious, with over 200 events under her belt and six wins, as previously reported by the BBC. She was initially a top-level showing rider before transitioning to eventing, a demanding competition that includes dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. It was during the show jumping portion that Campbell met her tragic end.
Campbell was married to fellow equestrian Jesse Campbell of New Zealand, who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to The Guardian. Before her death, she had represented Great Britain on numerous Nations Cup teams and participated in several five-star events, the pinnacle of eventing competitions.
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The couple formed Team Campbell Eventing to promote their global competitions and scheduling. Just three weeks before the accident, both were featured in an Instagram video practicing with Global Quest. The post was captioned, “Global Quest at his Best.”
This year has seen the tragic loss of several young athletes. Former UFC fighter Geane Herrera, 33, died in a motorcycle accident in Tampa, Florida. Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum, who set a near-sub two-hour marathon record, was killed in February when the car he was driving lost control and hit a tree. Kiptum was just 24.