Experienced West Pinchbeck rider died after horse fell on her

A mother and father from West Pinchbeck witnessed their talented 27-year-old daughter die after her horse tripped and fell on her, an inquest has heard.

Victoria Marie Howlett suffered ‘catastrophic’ head and neck injuries following the incident on Saturday, September 23 a hearing at Boston Coroner’s Court was told.

The hearing on Wednesday, December 6 heard that she completed a jump made of a horizontal pole on two chairs several times already that morning in front of her parents David and Deborah and partner Guy Woods in a field next to their Black Hole Drove home.

Eye-witness accounts read out in court said that around 9.30am, the horse the family have owned for seven years, a 16.2lbs Dutch Warmblood called Sherry tripped on the jump and landed on Victoria’s head.

A post-mortem report concluded that Victoria had died due to severe head and neck injuries including fractures of the skull and bleeding to the brain.

Victoria’s mum Deborah Howlett said in a statement to the inquest: “Victoria had been riding since was five-years-old and before she was at primary school. It was always a massive part of her life.

“She rode to a very high standard and used to train horses.”

On the incident, Deborah continued: “Victoria had been cantering and warming up and jumped the horizontal bar three or four times before.

“On this attempt Sherry’s legs clipped the bar. She flung Victoria off and Sherry landed on Victoria’s head.”

In his statement, Guy said: “I remember the horse falling sideways on to Victoria’s head and then Victoria staying on the ground.” Guy attempted to give Victoria CPR and the Air Ambulance attended, but she was pronounced dead shortly after 10am, the inquest heard.

David said: “It was going to be the last one (jump) and then we were going to put it away. She’d do it every week.”

Lincolnshire coroner Dr Murray Spittal said: “Victoria was out doing what she always does on a Saturday at 9am in a field next to her home on a horse she was familiar with going over jumps that’d she’d done several times that morning.

“The horse tripped and she suffered catastrophic injuries to her head and neck which caused her death.

“Victoria died as a result of an accident. It’s that straight forward I’m afraid.”