Equestrian sport mourns the loss of Dean Holland: the jockey fell off his horse during a race and was fatally injured. The 34-year-old competed in Australia with his horse “Headingley”. The animal stumbled on the last part of the one-kilometer route, fell, and the rider fell to the ground. The organizers later announced that Holland had succumbed to his injuries. The Australian is survived by his wife and four children, all under the age of five.
“He was treated by paramedics but sadly passed away at the scene,” Victoria police said. Another rider involved in the fall was not injured. The horses weren’t hurt either. The riding event was canceled after the accident.
Andrew Jones, managing director of Racing Victoria, which organized the race, spoke of a “tragic accident” and was “deeply shocked and saddened” by it. Holland’s death is “a sobering reminder of the immense courage of our riders,” Jones said. “Dean was a gifted lightweight jockey who was well respected by his peers.” Numerous other jockeys also paid tribute to the deceased.
“We are overwhelmed by grief,” Holland’s wife and parents said in a joint statement. A fundraiser was launched for the family, which raised more than 500,000 Australian dollars (the equivalent of 300,000 euros) the day after the fatal accident.
According to equestrian site Racing.com, Dean Holland began his career in 2005 and has won more than a thousand races. He came up with a total of more than 30 million dollars in prize money.
Sources: Racing Victoria / “news.com.au” / “Racing.com”
