Show jumping: Annelies Vorsselmans horse dies at German championships

Joachim Geilfus, chief judge of the tournament, was an eyewitness to the fall. “It was actually a distance of five canter jumps,” he told the specialist magazine St. Georg: “The rider then decided shortly before the jump to ride one more gallop. That broke the distance and the horse almost fell straight onto the bar. Unfortunately, it just made a mistake. ”At ten years old, the horse was considered an experienced competition horse.

According to “Reiter Revue”, both horse and rider could get up initially, but had to be treated for a long time in the course. Both were then taken to clinics.

“In our sport everything possible is done for the safety of riders and horses,” said national trainer Otto Becker: “Unfortunately, not every accident can be prevented.” For every rider it is the worst thing to lose his horse in such an accident. “My condolences go out to the rider and the owner of the horse,” said Becker.

In equestrian sports, there are often fatal falls

Accidents occur again and again in competitions in several equestrian disciplines, for example falls in jumping and eventing tournaments (here, here and here) or in gallop races for riders or horses also lead to fatal outcomes.

The German championships took place this year as part of an international three-star tournament on the facility of the four-time Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum, as the originally planned title fights in Balve in spring could not be held due to the corona pandemic.

Beerbaum was satisfied with the way the championships went, but also said: “We are all really sorry that Annelies Vorsselmans fell. Unfortunately, despite intensive treatment in the clinic, the horse could no longer be helped. ”

In the men’s category, Philipp Weishaupt, rider of the “Beerbaum Stables” won the title for the second time since 2009 with the 13-year-old mare Asathir. Finja Bormann, trained by Beerbaum’s brother Markus, won the show jumping competition on the gelding A Crazy Son of Lavina on Saturday. In the national championships there is – in contrast to other championships – a separate rating for women.
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