Reaction mixed to photos of eventing accident

My inbox and voicemail have been full with comments from readers on the publication of photos on the front page Tuesday of an accident at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. (Here is the story.)

On Saturday, the fall on the cross-country course at the Kentucky Horse Park left rider Laine Ashker in critical condition and resulted in the death of her horse, Frodo Baggins. The two photographs, at right, by freelance photographer Ron Curtis, showed the two just as they encountered the Flower Basket jump and then as they began to tumble over it.

Of the more than 70 responses to my editor's note with the photos requesting comments, more objected to than supported my decision to print them. Those who disagreed described them as in poor taste, too graphic, insensitive to the rider and her family, and insufficiently supportive of eventing and the horse industry.

Gwen Starstrom of Georgetown said such horrific photos should not be printed. "We can all well imagine what transpired from the descriptions in the newspaper. Shame on you," she wrote.

Ladd Bovey of Lexington agreed, writing: "Publishing a photo of horse and rider plunging to the death of the horse had all of the subtlety of showing a picture of someone's pet dog being run over."

On the other hand, Marsha Dance of Berry, Ky., wrote: "You were right in showing pictures of the horses falling at the Rolex cross-country....It is past time for everyone involved in horse competitions to wake up and quit making excuses and start thinking about safety first....They keep trying to make the jumps harder and harder all the time, with no thought to the fact that there are limits to what a horse can do. ...I think if all these riders, trainers and officials really, REALLY cared about horses as they should they would not push them into such dangers. I feel the cross-country event should be stopped or else taken back to what it was in the beginning."

Dan Weldy of Lexington, who witnessed the accident, wrote: "Laine Ashker lay motionless on the ground, and I believed at that moment that I just witnessed someone losing her life. Many of us at the scene were in tears. As Frodo Baggins struggled to get to his feet, I think we all knew that he would not survive this accident. This photo brings to light the incredible dangers inherent to the sport. Perhaps it will lead to changes that will make cross-country eventing safer for horse and rider and less frightening for spectators."

On Tuesday afternoon, two leaders of the eventing world called for a safety summit on the sport on June 7-8 in Lexington. You can read the letter from David O’Connor, president of the United States Equestrian Federation, and Kevin Baumgardner, president of the United States Eventing Association, here.

If you'd like to comment, please e-mail me or call 859-231-3221. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate your taking the time to share your views.

Linda Austin, Editor