[August 03, 2018]      

At the Open Horse Show this week, one competitor, Heather Alexander, had a particularly dramatic ride. As the spectators watched, she and her horse fell to the ground. It wasn't a straight fall down, but an event where the horse was weaving in and out of posts, and much like we see motorcycles lean into their turn, the horse leaned too at the coaxing of its rider.

On a good day, this is not a big deal for the horse or the rider, they train together and know the feel of the move as they go into it. On this day though, it didn't feel right, and sure enough, Heather said she felt the fall coming. It was a familiar, though perhaps dreaded feeling. but she and the horse have both been through this before, and both knew what was happening. Heather said she was ready, she knew, and she was ready.

You can see that in the shots, as she changes the angle of her body, unlocks her feet from the stirrups, and when the horse goes down, Heather is still somewhat upright. The horse landed on its side on the ground, but recovered quickly, prancing away and shaking off the fall.

Heather said the ground was wet, and it was just a slip, something that happens from time to time. As noted earlier, and thankfully, both horse and rider came out on the other side just fine.

Pictures by  Mitch Douglas