Hannah Serfass, a 15-year-old equestrian, died on Sunday in Florida after participating in a jumping event at Fox Lea Farms, Venice. She was rushed to the Sarasota Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
According to the United States Equestrian Federation, she suffered from a “rotational fall” that was “unrelated to a jumping effort.” At the time of the incident, Serfass was riding a 12-year-old Holsteiner named Quaxx 2. The equestrian was halfway through the course when the horse stumbled. As a result, Serfass, who was the rider, toppled forward during the race and fell off the animal. After that the horse ended up landing on Serfass’ head when she was already on the ground.
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Fox Lea Farms issued a statement following the incident: “Hannah from Webster, Fla was a very talented up-and-coming young rider who trained with Robin Swinderman. She was known for her passion for horses, her natural ability, and her work ethic. The USEF, USHJA, and Fox Lea Farm team wish to extend our deepest condolences to Hannah’s family, support team, and friends. The Federation takes every accident very seriously and will be reviewing the accident thoroughly to learn what we can do to minimize risk and increase safety in equestrian sport.”
Who are Hannah Serfass’ parents?
Hannah Serfass was born in 2007 to Janine Serfass and her father, whose identity has not been revealed, in Webster City, Florida. Hannah got her passion for riding horses from her mother. She also had an older sister, who rides for recreational purposes.
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Her parents, especially her mother supported her horse riding passion and allowed her to train with Robin Swinderman Mitchell. Mitchell helped her find suitable horses and guided her to evolve as a junior rider. She competed in the SE Finals Children’s Medal in 2021 as one of the youngest competitors. She finished second place.
After racing for the first time in the class, she won the Hamel NHS 3’3 Medal. Hannah maintained her dedication to her schooling despite participating in competitive horseback riding. She was homeschooled. She was able to combine her love of riding horses with her academic interests.
