# Nunney horse trials



## sunleychops (14 June 2014)

BE are waiting to release a statement regarding an incident there on the cross country course. 

There are unconfirmed reports that a Canadian rider has died :-( 

**** week for eventing


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## TGM (14 June 2014)

This is not appropriate until BE releases an official statement.


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## sunleychops (14 June 2014)

The Frome standard newspaper were reporting this, I'm not going on Twitter or Facebook rumours.


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## TGM (14 June 2014)

It doesn't matter, if it is not confirmed don't participate in discussion until it is confirmed that next of kin have been notified.


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## teazle (14 June 2014)

BE specifically requested no speculation until they or the event organisers themselves issue an official statement. "Unconfirmed reports", whether from a newspaper or not, are unnecessary.


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## sunleychops (14 June 2014)

Welcome to the Internet. I assume you are new to it? Word spreads fast.


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## Xander (14 June 2014)

I totally agree with TGM. It can't possibly help anyone to discuss this.


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## TGM (14 June 2014)

chrisritch said:



			Welcome to the Internet. I assume you are new to it? Word spreads fast.
		
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Have some respect.  I hope you are never in a situation where you find out tragic news accidentally via social media rather than through the correct channels.


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## sunleychops (14 June 2014)

I would hope BE have already informed next of kin if reports are to be believed. 

Also perhaps BE shouldn't say anything until they have a full statement ready. All they have done is fuel rumour.


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## teazle (14 June 2014)

You mean all YOU have done is fuel rumour. BE issued a statement to try and prevent this type of rumourmongering happening. Have some respect and decency. Word spreads fast because of people like you.


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## Xander (14 June 2014)

chrisritch said:



			All they have done is fuel rumour.
		
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And I can't see why you'd want to chuck more petrol on the fire.


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## LMR (14 June 2014)

No one has been named on this post so not sure how anyone would find out next of kin have tragically passed via social media.

However whatever has happened is obviously terrible, and thoughts are with those involved.

I do agree BE have probably sparked people's interest into what happened by releasing this statement.


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## Xander (14 June 2014)

LMR said:



			No one has been named on this post so not sure how anyone would find out next of kin have tragically passed via social media.

However whatever has happened is obviously terrible, and thoughts are with those involved.

I do agree BE have probably sparked people's interest into what happened by releasing this statement.
		
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Obviously people were there and may have been following on Twitter and Facebook. After a tragic death last year (where the next of kin were unavailable) and the incident was widely discussed, I think BE are just trying to prevent anything similar happening.


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## teapot (14 June 2014)

Xander said:



			Obviously people were there and may have been following on Twitter and Facebook. After a tragic death last year (where the next of kin were unavailable) and the incident was widely discussed, I think BE are just trying to prevent anything similar happening.
		
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Not to mention with its new rules on social media.

The Frome Standard has just made matters worse by being more specific than the official BE and Nunney statement. 



chrisritch said:



			I would hope BE have already informed next of kin if reports are to be believed. 

Also perhaps BE shouldn't say anything until they have a full statement ready. All they have done is fuel rumour.
		
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Next of kin can take hours to do, not minutes so I hope the newspaper concerned gets a talking to. 

Sad sad day for the Eventing world


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## amage (14 June 2014)

teapot said:



			Not to mention with its new rules on social media.

The Frome Standard has just made matters worse by being more specific than the official BE and Nunney statement. 



Next of kin can take hours to do, not minutes so I hope the newspaper concerned gets a talking to. 

Sad sad day for the Eventing world 

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In fairness if you read the Frome Standard report on the incident they quoted the statement from the event organisers which stated a Canadian rider has been killed following a rotational fall so hardly speculation or unfounded info. Just because BE have yet to produce a statement there is no reason to attack the poster who quoted a news website operating from a bonafide statement. 

It is tragic as was the death in Lumuhlen. RIP to both


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## teapot (14 June 2014)

amage said:



			In fairness if you read the Frome Standard report on the incident they quoted the statement from the event organisers which stated a Canadian rider has been killed following a rotational fall so hardly speculation or unfounded info. Just because BE have yet to produce a statement there is no reason to attack the poster who quoted a news website operating from a bonafide statement. 

It is tragic as was the death in Lumuhlen. RIP to both
		
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BUT if you look at Nunney's website or facebook page, they haven't actually posted it either. It is not in the public domain as yet. 

What social media does allow for is for people to report the paper's article quickly and it has NOT gone unnoticed that it's come out in the public domain before it was meant to.


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## mahonenx (14 June 2014)

Actually, Nunney announced it on twitter pretty soon after it happened stating there had been a serious incident and the rest of today is therefore cancelled.


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## Bestdogdash (14 June 2014)

teazle said:



			You mean all YOU have done is fuel rumour. BE issued a statement to try and prevent this type of rumourmongering happening. Have some respect and decency. Word spreads fast because of people like you.
		
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That's a bit harsh. I am sure OP didn't do this maliciously. it is on the BBC after all.


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## teapot (14 June 2014)

mahonenx said:



			Actually, Nunney announced it on twitter pretty soon after it happened stating there had been a serious incident and the rest of today is therefore cancelled.
		
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They've not announced nationality though which is what starts the rumour mill. 

Just seems a shame people have no concept of privacy and respect.


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## TGM (14 June 2014)

At the time that OP posted it wasn't on BBC, and the publication quoted by OP was only saying at that time that there were unconfirmed reports that a rider had died.  On top of that the OP refers to the very BE statement that asked for people not to comment on social media until a statement had been issued.  The mention of riders nationality would make identity of the rider clear to those who knew them.


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## mahonenx (14 June 2014)

I don't think you can blame the OP. Other news sites announced it that are far more likely to come up on a search that this forum.


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## TGM (14 June 2014)

BE have announced an official statement:

http://www.britisheventing.com/asp-...n=59&itemTitle=Latest+Eventing+News+Headlines


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## mahonenx (14 June 2014)

The official statement and identification of the rider involved have now been released by BE. RiP and condolences to his family and friends. Such a sad day for eventing x


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## Nugget La Poneh (14 June 2014)

BE have just issued the formal press release:

http://www.britisheventing.com/asp-net/news/item.aspx?id=4869


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## Hedgewitch13 (14 June 2014)

How awful  Condolences to his family.


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## TGM (14 June 2014)

So terribly sad and thoughts go out to his family and friends.  Let's hope they found out the correct way, rather than by reading rumour and speculation on the Internet.

If, God forbid, something similar happens again, I would ask people to think carefully before they go rushing to post on social media before an official statement is issued, particularly if the information they give out makes the rider quite identifiable.  Organisations like BE specifically request that people should not speculate on such issues on social media for good reason - not because they are jobsworths but because they want to make sure all the relevant people are informed in the right way.  Just because others choose to post unconfirmed reports online is no valid reason to repost it yourself and spread the rumours even further.

Please folks, put yourselves in the shoes of those bereaved in such a way and think how you would like to be treated if such a terrible thing happens.


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## MagicMelon (14 June 2014)

Very sad, this along with the death of Benjamin Winter, and a horse - what a dreadfully tragic day for eventing  

I personally don't think OP did anything wrong at all, relatives would not be going online to try to find out names I doubt - they would know their relation was competing at the event and I'm sure would have been informed pretty immediately. Obviously giving out a name before anyone was officially informed is totally different, but just saying someone has died isn't unacceptable.


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## TGM (14 June 2014)

MM, giving out the nationality of a non UK rider at a UK event narrows things down considerably.  Given that relatives and friends may possibly be horsey and therefore frequent horse forums, it seems unwise to speculate on here, particularly when you have obviously seen the BE statement that expressly asks you not too!


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## Fools Motto (14 June 2014)

Very sad news. Thoughts are with his family and friends.


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## teapot (14 June 2014)

TGM said:



			MM, giving out the nationality of a non UK rider at a UK event narrows things down considerably.  Given that relatives and friends may possibly be horsey and therefore frequent horse forums, it seems unwise to speculate on here, particularly when you have obviously seen the BE statement that expressly asks you not too!
		
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That's my view on it too. 

Rest in peace both Benjamin and Jordon


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## Maisie2 (15 June 2014)

Such sad news.  I didn't know either rider but my heart goes out to their connections and also I absolutely agree with Teapot and TGM.


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## magicmoose (15 June 2014)

MagicMelon said:



			I personally don't think OP did anything wrong at all, relatives would not be going online to try to find out names I doubt - they would know their relation was competing at the event and I'm sure would have been informed pretty immediately. Obviously giving out a name before anyone was officially informed is totally different, but just saying someone has died isn't unacceptable.
		
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Sadly next of kin have found out via social media in the past. In this case, the mention of the rider as Canadian could have been enough to identify them. 

The OP's post was inappropriate IMO.


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## Dunlin (15 June 2014)

First and foremost what a terrible day, 2 riders have lost their lives and a horse, my thoughts are with all those connected.

With regards to posting this up I have a good example which also occurred yesterday. There was a light aircraft crash in Nottinghamshire, it was reported on the BBC with very few details as next of kin had not yet been informed, there was an accompanying photographs showing a crumpled plane with half the serial. On an aviation forum someone had posted the picture, trawled the internet and somehow identified the aircraft and given out the full serial making it very easy to identify who owned the aircraft and where it was based. Almost identical to this in my opinion. No names were given but with the few details given it would be very easy for next of kin to know who it was. 

Also, if someone's relative/friend is competing at a Horse Trials and they are not there to watch they may well 'Google' or look at resources such as H&H as this website often has a 'running commentary' for events. I know for a fact it has happened before, I cannot remember if it was H&H or another equestrian forum but someone posted about a rider death before it was anywhere else because they were there and saw it happen, the thread I think was a roll call type of thread and they were trying to find out if it was anyone on the forum. Nothing intentionally malicious behind it but very insensitive and careless and the girls family did end up finding out she had died before an FLO had visited them.


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