EDMONTON -- A local woman has died in an equestrian accident in Florida. Katharine Morel of Fort Saskatchewan and her horse Kerry On died after an accident on course at a horse show on Saturday.
Morel, 33, and her eight-year-old Thoroughbred mare suffered a rotational fall on the cross country course at the Rocking Horse Winter III Horse Trials in Altoona, Fla.
Morel was transported to hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Kerry On died on the course shortly after the fall.
Officials are still trying to determine what caused the accident.
Morel and Kerry On competed in eventing, a multi-disciplinary equestrian sport that includes dressage, show jumping and eventing. They were based out of Sandridge Stables in Sherwood Park.
Evan Dahms co-owns Sandridge with his wife. He described Morel as hardworking and friendly.
"She would help out people. We’ve been at events and there were new people even that don’t belong to the barn, they’d be from another barn and she could tell that they were beginners and nervous and she’d go over and help them through," he told CTV News Edmonton on Sunday.
"She was a really good person who just helped people believe in themselves."
Other riders at Sandridge have begun to build a memorial for Morel and Kerry On in the horse’s stall.
"They came this morning and put up this little memorial here for Kat and her horse, which is really, really nice and thoughtful of them to do and over the next couple of days I’m sure there will be lots more here," Dahms said.
"It’s just pretty hard to believe that someone who is just full of life is just all of a sudden you know, snuffed out."
