Two professional equestrians died just hours apart after separate cross-country accidents during competitions in England.

While competing at Swalcliffe Park in Oxfordshire on Saturday, July 18, Sophie Fouracre, 34, suffered a fatal injury in an accident while riding Rhubarbsfox Brittania. Later that same day, Kerry Donoghue, 42, died after a separate accident while riding Carneyhaugh Rua at an event in Penrith, Cumbria, according to a statement shared by the Event Horse Owners Association (EHOA).

Despite the immediate response from medical teams at both competitions, neither rider survived, according to the EHOA. The organization also confirmed that both horses were examined by attending veterinarians and were not injured.

“The EHOA Board send their deepest condolences to Kerry and Sophie’s families, friends and loved ones at this devastating time,” the statement read. “Our thoughts are also with their fellow competitors, organizers, owners, officials, volunteers and everyone who has been affected by these tragic events.”

In the statement, Rosie Williams, chief executive of British Eventing, expressed her condolences to the riders’ loved ones.

“The British Eventing community is heartbroken,” Williams said in the statement. “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.”

Williams also expressed gratitude to those who responded at both competitions.

“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,” she said.

“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,” Williams added.

British Eventing said it will conduct formal reviews of both accidents in line with its safety and incident review procedures. The organization also encouraged anyone affected by the tragedies to seek support through the British Eventing Support Trust Helpline and asked that the families’ privacy be respected during this difficult time.

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While fatal equestrian accidents are relatively uncommon, they do occur. An estimated 710 people die in horse-related accidents worldwide each year, according to Healthronic.

A 2023 study found that nearly 75% of equestrian deaths are caused by head and neck injuries, highlighting the serious risks riders can face despite fatalities remaining relatively uncommon.

Last month, 25-year-old Massachusetts equestrian Chloe Smith died after her horse collapsed and rolled on top of her during a riding accident. Smith’s death came just months after she’d fulfilled her lifelong dream of owning a horse farm.

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