Lucy Wiegersma loses horse at Burnham Market

Bustermartin

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The Telegraph reports today that Simon Porloe who fell at the last fence in the Advanced class at Burnham Market yesterday, was later PTS. So sad, he was a lovely horse. Does anyone know what happened?
 
I was there yesterday but didn't see the actual fall. I was at the sj and turned to see horse lying on the floor, Lucy lying on the floor a long way from the horse and the horse wasn't moving. They were at the last fence, next to the warm up and start box, and it was all visible to everyone in the trade stands and sj.

They were quite quick to put screens up but the horse lay where it fell and made no attempt to move. Very very sad for all concerned!
Interestingly though they re-startede the xc soon after the fall while screens were still up and horse still on the ground and the riders just missed out the last fence, cantering past the horse ambulance and screens! Thought that was a bit odd but I understand they had hundreds of horses left to jump.
 
I thought it was Porloe Alvin though, rather than Simon Porloe. I'm sure that's what I heard the commentator say but I may be wrong as it was very windy and hard to hear what they were saying.
 
i wondered if something had happened as i noticed she had been eliminated and she has withdrawn from her other classes.
So sad.
R.I.P
 
I thought it was Porloe Alvin though, rather than Simon Porloe. I'm sure that's what I heard the commentator say but I may be wrong as it was very windy and hard to hear what they were saying.

Results say that Porloe Alvin was eliminated, whereas Simon Porloe has been withdrawn
 
I wondered when a forum would start on this matter. Yes it was Porloe Alvin. A friend who saw it said the horse got in very deep and jumped with one front leg and not the other. This resulted in a rotational fall and I presume that's when it broke its back (the broken back is not 100%, just what most of the riders thought had happened).

A very sad piece of news.... and something you wouldn't expect to happen at the last fence(although this is silly as I know the last fence is as big and wide as the others).... reminds us all to ride every fence.... not just the technical ones!

Poor Lucy and I think its very important to not forget the owners at a time like this...! After all they owned him, paid and cared for him a great deal.

RIP
 
I was at Burnham yesterday and was at the leaf pit bit of the course when they announced a hold on course because of an unseated rider, there wasn't really any mention of the horse, at first I thought it was Lucy who was badly hurt.I hadn't heard of Porloe Alvin before - was it his first advanced? There was at least a 30 minute hold but I had no idea it was because of the horse fatality :(. They then started speeding up the frequency of the horses coming onto the course as they were well behind. I do know they removed the very last fence after the fall though, and I did think was a bit odd as was a totally inoculous looking fence, one of the smallest on the course. The ground was very slippery and muddy in places, like in the woods just after the first 2 fences, but the organizers had done a brilliant job on the grassy areas, and so many horses came galloping past with their ears pricked, obviously loving the mud. Quite a few riders had refusals and the majority had loads of time faults, so heavy was the ground. My sympathy goes out to Lucy and all of the horses owners, as it is always a tragedy to lose a horse, at whatever level.

On a slightly more cheery note, I also walked past Piggy French and Pippa Funnell when they were walking the course and caught Pippa saying about the brush fences "I think it is a pretty w**ky fence, actually!" which made me giggle. But she went on to win, so it couldn't have been that bad! And we saw another rider have problems at the birch rail corners, her horse really didn't like the look of them and kept rearing up. I did feel sorry for her as she was eliminated for taking too long as Caroline Powell passed her. I couldn't believe how close I was to the riders, I saw Zara several times, nearly got run over by Angus Smales on horseback and walked past Caroline Powell and Georgie Davies! All in all, I enjoyed myself, despite the rain and biting wind (gave me an excuse to buy a nice padded gilet!) and am glad our little car managed to get off the car park!
 
How sad :( I did wonder if they would run - they must have worked very hard on the ground.

On a lighter note I often walk past Georgie as my son's horse is at livery on her yard and he has lessons with her - she is lovely :)
 
Thank you all very much for your kind words for Lucy. It was indeed Porloe Alvin not Simon Porloe. It was an absolute tradegy for everyone involved ,for Lucy, Sarita and Chris Perkins (who owned him) and all the girls who looked after him. Not only was he a very good horse he was an extremely likeable character, and will be greatly missed.
Lucy is a bit bent and I think will be off the road for a week or so, but nothing that won't get better with time. But once again thank you for support.
 
Thank you all very much for your kind words for Lucy. It was indeed Porloe Alvin not Simon Porloe. It was an absolute tradegy for everyone involved ,for Lucy, Sarita and Chris Perkins (who owned him) and all the girls who looked after him. Not only was he a very good horse he was an extremely likeable character, and will be greatly missed.
Lucy is a bit bent and I think will be off the road for a week or so, but nothing that won't get better with time. But once again thank you for support.

How awful for everyone involved with the horse :(
Wishing Lucy a speedy recovery

RIP Porloe Alvin

x
 
As we left we saw the horse ambulance with the screens up and feared the worst.

RIP Porloe Alvin and sincere condolences to all who loved him and looked after him.
 
Thank you all very much for your kind words for Lucy. It was indeed Porloe Alvin not Simon Porloe. It was an absolute tradegy for everyone involved ,for Lucy, Sarita and Chris Perkins (who owned him) and all the girls who looked after him. Not only was he a very good horse he was an extremely likeable character, and will be greatly missed.
Lucy is a bit bent and I think will be off the road for a week or so, but nothing that won't get better with time. But once again thank you for support.

RIP Alvin and I hope that Lucy is back on board very soon, so sad when this happens at what ever level :(
 
Somehow although we all know the risks of eventing we never expect it to be our horse.RIP Alvin and commiserations to everyone connected with him
 
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