Local rider Eleanor Brennan, 21, died Saturday when her horse fell in competition.

Brennan rocketed to the upper levels of the eventing world three years ago when she became one of the youngest riders ever to compete at Badminton, England. The Badminton three-day event is one of the top five international competitions in the sport.

At 17 and just shy of her high school graduation, she had moved to England to compete, where she had extended family.

Recently, however, she had returned to the Scottsville area.

She was killed while competing at the Mane Event at the Florida Horse Park in Ocala.

Onlookers said her horse, Mister Barnabus, stumbled before a jump and fell heavily. He apparently died instantly of a broken neck. Brennan died later at a hospital from head and chest injuries suffered by being crushed under the horse’s weight.

On Sunday, flags flew at half-staff at the horse park, and the facility’s chairman read a tribute to Eleanor written by her mother, Christine Durman Brennan:

“God gives humans the gift of choice. The sport is our passion. Eleanor embodied the sport of eventing.”

Brennan trained under Olympic medallist Kim Severson, based out of Plain Dealing Farm in Keene. She was a friend of Lucia Strini, daughter of Plain Dealing’s owner, Linda Wachtmeister. Wachtmeister and Christine Brennan were watching the event when the accident happened.

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