15-year-old equestrian dies when horse falls on her during competition, Florida cops say

A 15-year-old equestrian was killed during a competition when the horse she was riding fell on top of her, according to Florida authorities.

Hannah Serfass was competing at a hunter/jumper event on April 30 at Fox Lea Farm in Venice, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

She was about halfway through the course when her horse completed the sixth jump and landed successfully, a statement from the sheriff’s office says. The horse then took a few more steps toward the next hurdle and “for unknown reasons planted its left front hoof, which caused the horse to lean down significantly towards its left front hoof,” the statement says.

This caused Serfass to “topple forward” and fall off the horse. The horse also started to fall in the same direction and fell on Serfass’ head, according to the sheriff’s office.

Staff at the farm began first aid until members of the Sarasota County Fire Department arrived, the statement says. Serfass was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A hunter/jumper event consists of two disciplines: hunter, which tests a horse’s jumping performance as well as its style and quality of movement, and jumper, which involves a horse clearing all fences on the course as quickly as possible, according to the United States Hunter Jumper Association.

The fall of Serfass’ horse was called a “rotational fall,” which is the leading cause of death in equestrian sport, according to the University of Kentucky. Rotational falls usually occur when a horse hits a fence with its legs or chest and the animal and rider are both thrown forward.

Serfass’ horse did not fall because of a jump, according to the United States Equestrian Federation.

The federation called Serfass a “very talented, up-and-coming young rider” who was “known for her passion for horses, her natural ability, and her work ethic.”

Other members of the equestrian community mourned Serfass’ loss on social media and shared the hashtag #rideforhannah.

“... We tragically lost a beautiful soul in our fellow equestrian world, Hannah Serfass,” wrote Barrett Farm of Florida, a boarding and training facility in central Florida. “She was a kind, talented, hard working, dedicated rising star, and a joy to be around.”

Baxter Lane Farm, which was also competing on the morning of April 30 with Serfass, wrote that their hearts were aching for her parents and trainer.

“It is still hard to put into words but I can’t stop thinking of this lovely young lady, her beautiful smile and friendly demeanor,” the farm wrote.

A GoFundMe Page created on behalf of Serfass’ family described her as a “talented rider with an extremely bright future.”

“She showed nothing but dedication and love to this sport,” the page says.

Serfass’ mother did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

In 2017, a 17-year-old polo player, Donovan Stratemann, died when his horse collided with another during a match in Wellington, according to The Palm Beach Post. Stratemann fell to the ground, and his horse landed on him, the outlet reported.

Venice is about 70 miles south of Tampa.

This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 2:10 PM with the headline "15-year-old equestrian dies when horse falls on her during competition, Florida cops say."