Mia Eriksson was 17 when she died in a fall while competing at the Galway Downs Three Day Event in Temecula, California in 2006. On May 6, her parents filed a lawsuit in California charging negligence on the part of USEF, her trainer, and others involved in the sport, according to an article in this morning’s New York Times.
The lawsuit charges, according to the Times, that the event made the cross-country course more difficult in order to thrill spectators.
I think that the Eriksson case is compelling because Mia’s sister was also killed in an equestrian-related accident.
To view a web site devoted to the issues of eventing safety; click here to read about some of the comments and collected stories that have been compiled to date.
Meanwhile, a quick check of YouTube brought up 29 videos of eventing “falls” set to rock / rap music.
Image from the Mia Eriksson memorial page on the Galway Downs web site.