Family, community mourn equestrian
A Canterbury family is in ‘‘utter shock’’ after a mother of two died after a horse-riding accident.
Nicola Pellett, 47, suffered a head injury and never regained consciousness after the accident at North Canterbury’s Mandeville sportsgrounds, near her Swannanoa home, on August 6.
Nicky Begg said her sister-inlaw was riding with a friend when the horse reared. The friend, who is a nurse, did CPR before Pellett was flown to Christchurch Hospital in a Westpac rescue helicopter.
She was placed in an induced coma and died five days later, on August 11. A funeral was to be held yesterday afternoon.
Pellett’s husband, Willie, and their sons Cameron, 13, and Joshua, 19, were in ‘‘utter shock’’. Family and horses were central to Pellett’s life, Begg said. ‘‘Everyone is in complete shock. ‘‘This woman was so central to the community and the horseriding community here, you wouldn’t believe the flowers and food flowing into this house. The kindness of people is incredible.’’
Pellett was involved in her sons’ rugby, swimming and judo, but horse-riding was her passion, she said.
‘‘Horse-riding was central to her life, she competed in dressage to a highly competitive level. She was doing really well with that.’’
In 2013 Pellett helped save neighbour James Glen after he was pinned under an 800 kilogram horse in an accident. Pellett arrived and tried to lift the horse, but it was too heavy. A piece of 4 x 2 timber was used to lever the animal’s neck so it could sit up, releasing enough pressure for Pellett to drag her neighbour to safety.
Figures within the horse-riding community have taken to Facebook to pay tribute.
‘‘So so sad that this happened to such a lovely lady. I so appreciated Nickys friendship at school and at the Rangiora dressage. My thoughts are with the boys and husband and her close family,’’ one friend wrote. Another said Pellett was ‘‘a much loved woman’’ and ‘‘Swannanoa won’t be the same without her’’.
Pellett, who worked as an accounts administrator for her husband’s engineering company, was a member of the Eyreton horse-riding club. She had seven of her own horses.