27/04/2026

On Saturday 25 April, during the Pony Master Show at Arezzo Equestrian Centre — the most important national competition for children and adolescents in equestrian sports, held under the auspices of the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation (FISE) — a pony named Beauty died. Independent sources of IHP confirm what happened: the child riding her fell, the reins became entangled in the animal's legs and she, seized by panic, began to bolt and could not be stopped. She cleared people and obstacles, left the competition area and fell into an adjacent ditch. A broken vertebra left her no chance of survival. The Fire Brigade had to intervene to pull her out.

What happened next is something IHP cannot and will not stay silent about: the competitions went on as normal. The prize-giving ceremonies took place. Images of celebrations appeared on social media — children on podiums, the atmosphere of a major event. As if nothing had happened. As if a living being had not just lost her life in the very arena where she had been forced to compete.

Seen before. Same place.

This is not the first time it has happened at Arezzo Equestrian Centre. On 12 May 2024, during a show jumping competition with a pony category, Mountgrove Golden Girl died during the competition. She was 16 years old. In that case too, the competitions resumed after a few minutes, with no transparent communication either at the time or in the days that followed. The news surfaced only in a handful of social media comments. IHP gathered eyewitness accounts, sought confirmation from FISE — which replied — and publicly denounced that conduct, calling on the Federation to take a clear position.

No known measures followed. No protocol was put in place. And here we are again: same equestrian centre, same type of national federation event, same script.

The message being sent to children

The Pony Master Show is considered the most important national event in Italian youth equestrianism — "one of the flagship events of the federation calendar", as FISE itself writes on its website — and involves hundreds of children and teenagers from across the country, together with their families. It is, by its own stated intention, an educational event. An opportunity for growth.

What kind of growth, what kind of education does a system convey that, faced with the death of an animal used against its will in competition, bows its head for thirty seconds and then carries on as if nothing has happened? That celebrates results and hands out medals a few hours later? That promotes its own image on social media with smiles and podiums, while a body still lies on the ground?

In no sport in the world, when an athlete dies during a competition, does the event continue and the results get celebrated. In none. Except in equestrianism, where the horse — whom FISE has the audacity to call an "athlete" — ceases to exist the moment it ceases to be useful.

IHP writes to FISE

IHP will send a formal letter to the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation asking: what measures have been taken — or are intended to be taken — following this second incident at the same equestrian centre? Does a protocol exist that provides for the suspension of competitions in the event of an equine death during a show? If not, why not? And what does FISE intend to do to ensure this does not happen a third time?

This is not "sport".