Teenager's Olympic prospect horse killed in country lane crash

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 12 Oct, 23:20 · Archive

A 17-year-old rider's prizewinning horse was killed after a car crashed into them on a country lane in Wiltshire.

Tinks Walker, 17, was riding her prizewinning showjumping horse Killossery Kaptain, known as Benny, on a country lane near Malmesbury, Wiltshire on 2 April when a car crashed into them. The horse, which had previously been ridden by two-time Team GB Olympic gold medal winner Laura Collett, was fatally injured in the collision. Walker and her 10-year-old gelding were out on a morning ride along with another two-year-old horse named Lily.

Walker told Wiltshire Police that she saw the car 'flying around the curve' on the country road, about a mile from her home. She said she attempted to move the horses onto a grass verge to avoid it, but described feeling 'totally powerless'. After the impact, she woke on the floor, saying it 'felt like I had been beaten up'. She found Benny lying on the ground; the horse attempted to get up once but struggled and fell back down.

Benny, thought to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, had to be put down. The crash has shattered Walker's hopes of being selected to compete for Great Britain in next year's Eventing European Championships for Young Riders.

How it is being reported

• Horse ridden by Team GB two-time Olympic gold medal winner Laura Collett dies in crashTinks Walker, 17, has had her hopes of competing in the Olympics thrown into doubt after her beloved prizewinning horse was killed in a horror crash in WiltshireThe Mirror · 12 Oct, 23:07
• Teenage rider devastated after car crashes into her 'Olympic' horse Benny who has to be put down - dashing their Team GB hopesOn her beloved horse Benny, talented 17-year-old Tinks Walker was working towards competing for Team GB. Then a car driving along a country lane crashed into them, and Benny is deadDaily Mail · 11 Oct, 23:35

In this story: Tinks Walker · Laura Collett · Killossery Kaptain · Wiltshire · Malmesbury · Team GB

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