Leading figures in eventing including 5* course designer Mike Etherington-Smith and Australian Olympian Paul Tapner have given evidence on cross-country fence safety at an inquest in Sydney, Australia, into the deaths of young riders Caitlyn Fischer and Olivia Inglis.

Last week, the combined hearing mostly dealt with the human aspect of the two tragedies – Olivia, 17, at Scone Horse Trials in March 2016 and Caitlyn, 19, at the Sydney International the following month. During her evidence, Olivia’s mother Charlotte Inglis told the inquest she raised concerns regarding the jump with officials hours before the fatal fall.

Today (May 21st) New South Wales Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee moved on to consider possible causes of both rider deaths in more detail. He heard that the jump at which Olivia died was technically safe – though Tapner testified it was “below par.”

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