Horse Rider killed in Colorado

[Marianne Goodland]

Sad to report that a horse rider in Denver was killed in a Fourth of July show in what was (from my view) a completely preventable accident.

The rider, 18-year-old Katie Neilson, was a member of the trick team of the Jefferson county equestrian drill group Westernaires. Katie was preparing to do a trick called the stround when her horse stumbled and fell. Her leg was caught in a strap called the death drag strap, and she couldn't get out. The horse dragged her around the arena at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds three times before someone could get him to stop. If you're not familiar with Westernaires, this is a 40+ year-old organization of

9-18 year old kids. The biggest problem with this group is that they don't teach the kids how to ride; just how to hang on and ride as fast as they can. Their basic teaching principle in equitation is "toes in, heel down".
Those of us who have been watching this organization for the past ten years have been dreading this day - it was an accident waiting to happen.
In trick, the horse is supposedly trained to make one circle of the arena and then stop. In Katie's case, this didn't happen - the horse just kept on going.
The safety practices of this organization are almost non-existent - some of their teams (they have about 30) practice and perform riding double, triple and worse. Over the past 5 years, at least a dozen horses have been destroyed because of the poor training of this organization. Rumor has it that the horse Katie was riding was put down yesterday.

My daughter was a member of Westernaires for five years and got out when it became obvious that appearance was more important than safety. I'm sure anyone that reads this will share our sorrow over this accident - but if you've heard about it, don't believe that it was a freak accident. The horse falling was; what happened after that wasn't.
Marianne

[Dennis O'Connor]

mgoo...@du.edu (Marianne Goodland) writes:
] Sad to report that a horse rider in Denver was killed in a Fourth of

] July show in what was (from my view) a completely preventable
] accident.
]
] The rider, 18-year-old Katie Neilson, was a member of the trick team
] of the Jefferson county equestrian drill group Westernaires. Katie
] was preparing to do a trick called the stround when her horse stumbled
] and fell. Her leg was caught in a strap called the death drag strap,
] and she couldn't get out. The horse dragged her around the arena at
] the Jefferson County Fairgrounds three times before someone could get
] him to stop. If you're not familiar with Westernaires, this is a 40+
] year-old organization of 9-18 year old kids. The biggest problem with
] this group is that they don't teach the kids how to ride; just how to
] hang on and ride as fast as they can. Their basic teaching principle
] in equitation is "toes in, heel down". Those of us who have been
] watching this organization for the past ten years have been dreading
] this day - it was an accident waiting to happen. In trick, the horse
] is supposedly trained to make one circle of the arena and then stop.
] In Katie's case, this didn't happen - the horse just kept on going.
] The safety practices of this organization are almost non-existent -
] some of their teams (they have about 30) practice and perform riding
] double, triple and worse. Over the past 5 years, at least a dozen
] horses have been destroyed because of the poor training of this
] organization. Rumor has it that the horse Katie was riding was put
] down yesterday.

Isn't this the organization that was soliciting on the net a month
or so ago ? That group was mainly about Christian evangalism, not
about learning to ride, if I remember. It's easy to believe that such
a group would view the horses and riding as just a hook to get kids
into the program for indoctrination, which of course raises the
odds that safety will be ignored.

Factual correction welcome. Flames to alt.flame.

--
Dennis O'Connor doco...@sedona.intel.com
Intel i960(R) Microprocessor Division Solely responsible for what I do.

[Marianne Goodland]

That would surprise me. I don't recall it ever having any ties to any
particular religion, although I know many are church-going people.
We are confirmed agnostics, but it never was an issue when my daughter was
a member.
Marianne
mgl...@freenet.hsc.colorado.edu
cf...@cleveland.cwru.edu
mgoo...@diana.du.edu

[sphilb...@gmail.com]

As someone who graduated out I do believe westernaires has its fault but everytime you ride a horse especially in a trick ride you are taking a huge risk and there's risks that lead to tragedy this is obviously horrible and heartbreaking but not fault of westernaires horses are large animals and you take the risk of getting hurt or killed everytime you ride it doesn't make this any less tragic but its reality don't blame the organization its no ones fault it was purely a tragic accident and btw its not a religious cult trust me you don't have time for religious beliefs between diagramming and classes

[maura.r...@gmail.com]

I go to westernaires and i am 11 and starting trick. When you are starting any new specialty (act) they have you go to a meeting. In this meeting they said after this incident Westernaires has been way more carful. Trick riding at westernaires is way more safe now and they have been working really hard to make it safe. Wetsernaires has been teaching new trick riders how to get in and out of trick really fast and easy before they start practicing any tricks and are now making sure no one is to big for there horse so that the incident of the horse falling over is prevented and they have been teaching the tape holders aka the people who will be in the arena with the riders a procedure if that is to happen. I also noticed you said some thing about westernaires riding double triple and worst first of al riding double is not that bad and i happen to be one if those riders we are totally safe about it and Im pretty sure not very many horses have been hurt by it, second of all we only ride triple on our big Belgium, third of all its ok if professional horseback riding performers do these things but westernaires cant. Westernaires has became more safe and I understand you thinking westernaires is not safe but it definitely is now. I would also like to remind you that putting the horse down probably had nothing to do with westernaires and was most likely decided by Katie Neilson's family and riding horses and doing trick riding is a dangerous practice no matter what and westernaires is trying there hardest to make it save. Over all westernaires is a great organization and when you join westernaires it starts to become your second family and it helps bond parents and there children together.

[imintr...@gmail.com]

I know this was from a while back but I needed to say somthing. I am on a team in Westernaires called Crimson Rangers and though I do not agree with some of Westernaires ways I am here to say is that they put safety first. So what you are saying is not correct I have been in this organization for 7 years now. They put after first in this organization. They call a "hault ho" the first aid is the first in the arena to make sure everything is okay. Also horse accidents are not preventable. If they are going to happen they are going to happen. We put our lived at risk every time we get on a horse. In reality there is no such thing as a safe horse. All horses have their days. Also you cannot blaim her horse training on westernaires. Trick riding is an owner only sport. That horse was not trained by westernaires. It was her own personal horse. Westernaires does teach safety they are not about speed. In Tenderfeet (the first level in Westernaires) they focus on teaching the kids how to properly control and take care of the horse. They DO NOT go faster until they believe the class is ready. And depending on how experienced or ready you are determines weather you get to move up to the other teams. Also you cannot blaim everything on Westernaires or the horse. Things happen. I had a friend this weekend get seriously hurt but that is what it's about. No matter what you put your daughter in. She's going to be in danger of getting hurt with horses. It just comes with the job. It what makes us tough. So thank you though for putting in your input. I'll keep "Rididng With Pride"

[angelabe...@gmail.com]

I was one of Katie's best friends in high school. She would be sad to hear anyone dogging this program. It brought her tons of joy, and I never heard a thing from her about religion, though her values and consideration of others was astounding.

[Bethany Benes]

Katie was a good friend of mine and an excellent rider. I think about her death every day. :(