Lorna Brooke dies following Taunton fall

Lorna Brooke, the amateur rider who suffered a severe neck injury in a fall at Taunton recently, died yesterday.

The 37-year-old was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol following the fall and chatted to friends via the telephone before undergoing an operation to stabilise the injury. However, she was later placed in an induced coma due to swelling on her brain caused by high blood pressure and did not recover.

Brooke, who rode an open-race winner at Sandon point-to-point on the Saturday before the fall, rode predominantly under Rules on horses trained at her family home in Dolau, Powys, by her mother, Lady Susan Brooke.

A statement from the IJF was released this morning, which read: “It is with deep sadness that we have to share the tragic news that Lorna Brooke passed away yesterday.

“Her family thank everyone for their kindness in the last ten days, particularly the staff at Southmeads Hospital who were so professional. They will be having a private funeral and will hold a celebration of Lorna’s life once Covid-19 restrictions allow.”