Laine Ashker and Frodo Baggins fall at Rolex - A rider injury and a horse death

The following are news releases from Rolex. I am not an eventer and don't want to judge, but I would love to hear eventers' input about this common pattern. Would one solution be for fences to be able to come down, if hit hard enough? Thanks.

Saturday, April 26, 2008
Press Statement #1

Competitor number 55, Laine Ashker and her horse Frodo Baggins, fell at fence 5 at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event.

Laine sustained injuries but was concious, talking and able to move all extremities. She was transported to the University of Kentucky Hospital. She is currently under the care of the Emergency and Trauma Services staff.

Frodo Baggins also sustained injuries and was stabilized and transported to Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.

We look forward to an update on the progress of both horse and rider.

Martin Plewa
President of the Ground Jury

Saturday, April 26, 2008
Press Statement #2

Frodo Baggins and Laine Ashker fell at fence 5. Ashker sustained injuries but was conscious, talking and able to move all extremities when she was transported to the University of Kentucky Hospital. She is currently under the care of the emergency and trauma services staff.

Frodo Baggins was immediately attended by a team of veterinarians. He was given intravenous fluids and supportive medications for shock and pain. After he was stabilized, he was sedated and transported by horse ambulance to nearby Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, where he was immediately attended by emergency personnel.

Further tests showed that Frodo Baggins had sustained a fracture at the base of his skull, as well as severe lung injury. As the prognosis was very poor, a representative of the family concurred that euthanasia was the most humane option for the horse. A complete necropsy examination will be performed. Everyone at the event is saddened by the loss of this brave horse.

Equestrian Events, Inc.

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Permalink Reply by Britt Harmon on May 8, 2008 at 3:22pm

I have known Laine personally for a number of years. I was present at Rolex as well and had walked the cross country course with Laine and her mother as well a a few other friends the Thursday before. I want to make it very clear that Laine was extremely qualified to be riding that course and had ridden her other entry, Mazetto double clear in the morning session at Rolex. What happened was a tragic accident. Laine had shared on the walk that Frodo did not care for fences where you had to jump through a portion so that a part of the fence was over his head. She said that he had a tendency to duck his head and drop his legs in situations like that and that she would have to ride him differently to than her first horse. Laine was short listed for the Olympics and is the #3 Advanced level Eventer in the United States. She is a phenominal person and an incredible equestrian talent who loves her horses dearly. The loss of Frodo is devistating, to be sure but this accident should not be generalized.
It is interesting that when the long format of eventing was eliminated 2 years ago in favor of the short format the accident rate shot up. I feel that this is largely to due with the elimination of roads and tracks as well as the steeple chase phase. Horses are not having that period of being ridden in and checked after each phase before going on with the final phase being the actual cross country jumping. Before, horses that were not going well or recovering in the time required before going to the next phase were weeded out. Riders as well no longer have those phases to evaluate how their horses are going through those phases and have the opportunity to withdraw if they feel that it just isn't working on that particular day.
One of the arguements for the short format was that it was very difficult to keep a horse conditioned for the long format. I personally always thought that was the point.
If anyone if intereseted in knowing more about Laine and her progress her blog is being updated daily.
www.laineashkereventing.com

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Permalink Reply by Fiona on May 8, 2008 at 4:03pm

Hi Britt
Thanks for sharing your thoughts...I have been reading Laine's blog site daily as this accident touched me deeply....she like Darren are amazing riders with lots of experience....that to me is what is so scarey....I haven't jumped in 3 weeks....I am not a 'great' rider as your friend is....I know I'll jump again bacause there's nothing like it.....when Frodo fell I felt physically ill....I just turned to my friend(who is a top level Canadian rider) and said "This can't be happening"....I am so thrilled to read today that Laine is in a step down room now.....it's friends like you Brit that will carry her through her grief and recovery...I hope the powers that be figure something out....maybe you are right about the roads and tracks.....please let Laine know we in Ontario are rooting for her and she is still young enough to fulfill her Olympic dream.
Fiona

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Permalink Reply by Barbara F. on May 8, 2008 at 4:52pm

Hi Britt,
Thank you for sharing your very interesting thoughts. I am not an eventer and it is extremely enlightening to understand a bit about the length of the courses and the various segments that were eliminated. I would be interested to know what your thoughts are on the frangible pins?

I read somewhere that Laine's first thought after her injury was of the wellbeing of her horse. That is just heart-breaking.

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Permalink Reply by Kris on May 8, 2008 at 11:05pm

Britt - I am an old Advanced rider with a few firmly planted opinoins, and your discussions on the process which create disciplined event riders is a topic that I have been quietly discussing amongst friends since Eleanor Brennan's fall at Ocala last year. I too firmly believe that the process of creating a long format three day horse is essential to the safety of our sport. Unfortunately there is so much opposition to the long format that I don't believe the problem will be solved by going back to it. However I also do not think that the Safety Commissions's five step proposal to punish rotational falls will be any help whatsoever. Our job at this point is to prevent falls, not to punish those which have already happened. Out of the five points, only the one dealing with open oxers has anything to do with preventing falls before they happen. Even then, how many rotational falls happen at open oxers? I've had four in my career, all at Intermediate or above and not one at an open oxer. One was out foxhunting on "Pony Club Day". Rotational falls can't always be avoided, even in the best of circumstances.
I've recently acquired a new Intermediate rider as a student and was shocked to find that she had never been asked by her previous coach to do any fitness work other than "run up the hill" a couple of times. I am appalled to think that any coach worth their salt could ask a new Intermediate rider to jump around a course without proper fitness work. Call me "Old School", but I wouldn't dare run around a Prelim course, let alone an Intermediate without substantial fitness work. Do people think that these levels are so easy that they don't require anything more that a couple of dsg lessons and a jump school per week? Perhaps we need to move towards a system that prepares horses and riders for the task ahead instead on one that punishes horses and riders for the shortfalls in their training. I think that the process which has always created disciplined event riders had been removed from the sport, including the part which kept unfit horses and riders from competing, leaving the field wide open to many people who are not capable, never mind truly qualified to compete at the level they chose. Amazingly, Britt, you are the first person I find who shares some of these same opinions.

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Permalink Reply by BarnBum on May 10, 2008 at 5:32pm

As a low level eventer, I cant imagine this happening to my horse. It breaks my heart to even imagine it. It's obviously a tricky situation. The officials and such dont want to ban the sport, or change it, but clearly something must be done. Too many deaths of horses and riders, to ignore. Any horse sport is dangerous, especially jumping, and even more particualarily at this height. It puts so much strain on the horses, that they can only compete several times in a life time. I certainly hope something will be done, these beautiful talented horses dont need to be losing their lives, and in all honesty we should be complimenting the ASEA for taking this into consideration and not ignoring it like some other associations are doing.