Statement of The Humane Society of the United States on the Death of a Horse at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in Lexington
 

(April 26, 2009)—Keith Dane, director of equine protection for The Humane Society of the United States, issued the following statement in reaction to the death of Kingpin, a horse competing in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in Lexington, Ky. Preliminary reports suggest that the horse's death was not the result of a rotational fall, an often-fatal accident that has plagued the sport in recent years, causing industry leaders to implement regulations intended to safeguard its equine athletes.
 

"The HSUS joins the eventing community in mourning the loss of Kingpin, a veteran Irish warmblood horse who died on Saturday on the cross country course at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in Lexington.  We urge event organizers and veterinarians to conduct a thorough necropsy, and to release the results to the public as soon as possible.  Any deaths in equine sport are of concern and the causes must be examined to determine how human caretakers can work to prevent them in the future."