Amateur rider killed in rotational fall

An amateur rider has been killed in a rotational fall in Ireland.

Father-of-2 Cathal O’Malley, 45, was competing in a hunter trials in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on Sunday (13 April) when his horse somersaulted over a log and landed on him.

Order of Malta first aiders attended to him within a minute. He was taken to Tullamore’s Midland Regional Hospital 5mins away where he was pronounced dead.

Mr O’Malley, who ran a restaurant, is reported to have been an experienced rider who hunted regularly with the Galway Blazers. He had already taken part in an earlier class that day. More than 150 riders competed at the hunter trials on Sunday.

Colm O’Brennan, secretary of the Brosna Foxhounds that ran the event, told local papers that the simple log fence had been there for more than a decade, and that the horse appeared to “clip it” before somersaulting.

Mr O’Malley leaves a wife, Fiona King, and two sons, Darragh, 4, and 2-week-old Gavan.

A spokesperson for Horse Sport Ireland said: “This was a terrible tragedy to happen at a hunter trials, and we extend our sincerest condolences to Cathal’s family and friends.”

Martha Terry

H&H features editor

Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.