Ashley Stout, a 13-year-old US eventer has died during a freak accident whilst riding her horse in a cross country training session, at the Standing Ovation Equestrian Centre in Pennsylvania.
The rotational fall proved fatal to both horse and rider. Stout’s horse, the 7-year-old horse warmblood gelding – Avant Garde – sustained a broken neck during the incident, resulting in euthanization.
Stout was a part of the U.S Pony Club, one of the largest youth organisations in the world, and studied at Park Forest Middle School.
Stout had been a keen and talented member of the United States Eventing Association (USEA) over the past three years. Beginning her professional eventing career in 2016, by 2017 Stout and her ride Deo Volente finished on a dressage score of 19.8 to scoop the Junior Beginner Novice Under 14 division title, at the USEA American Eventing Championships.
The pair were training in preparation for the Area II Young Rider Three-Day Team as one of only 12 riders selected for the upcoming Youth Championships in only a few weeks time.
The accident happened at approximately 9.20am on Thursday, July 11 2019. The young rider was transported to the Mount Nittany Medical Centre where she was pronounced dead.
Friends, family, and supporters are calling for #Ride4Ashley to used in preparation for the upcoming championships and beyond.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.