One of Ireland's leading three-day event riders was killed in a fall while competing in England yesterday.
Sherelle Duke (28), was fatally injured when her horse, Ballystockart, landed on top of her after cartwheeling over the final element of a sunken road combination at the Brockenhurst Park horse trials in Sussex.
Paramedics attended to the rider at the fence and she was then transferred to Southampton hospital, but was declared dead on arrival. The remainder of the competition was cancelled after the accident.
Miss Duke was from Portadown, Co Armagh, and was a former world young rider champion, winning individual gold at Necarne Castle in Co Fermanagh in 1999, sporting her father Ronnie's red and white Duke's Transport Company colours. She also represented Ireland at senior level and was a member of the Irish team at the 2003 European championships in Punchestown, as well as competing at Badminton in 2004 with LA Temple Bar.
She had been long-listed for this year's world equestrian games, which opened in Aachen, Germany yesterday, but did not have a horse qualified for the championships.
Miss Duke is survived by her parents Ronnie and Miriam, sister Sonya and brothers Peter and Michael. Her father and sister flew to England last night, accompanied by Rosemary Lowry, who owned the horse Ballystockart in partnership with her husband Lewis Lowry.