A RETIRED Hampshire police officer died after being bucked from a horse and breaking her neck in a 'terrible tragedy', an inquest has heard.
Lesley Morton was an 'experienced' rider and regularly competed across the country but died after her 'excitable' horse Chilli bucked and she fell on her head.
The inquest heard the 56-year-old from Chandler's Ford was thrown from the 16-hands tall mare while practising jumps at Cockscombe Farm Livery in Tywford, near Winchester.
In a joint statement, her daughters Emily and Charlotte told the hearing in Winchester: "Mum has owned horses since she was a teenager.
"She has been an active horse rider in that time.
"She has taken horse riding lessons since her teenage years and continued to do so.
"She would ride Chilli on the road and bridleways a couple of times a week and would attend competitions... she has won numerous rosettes and trophies.
"Chilli would be described as an honest horse who would do what her rider asked but was prone to be excitable.
"When mum rode her horse she would always wear full protective equipment... she has fallen from a horse before, this is normal with regular horse riding."
Her friend Claire Woods was with Ms Morton when she had her fall. She said in a written statement: "Myself and Lesley would often spend time on a Sunday morning riding together.
"Lesley was in her good spirits as ever. We had set out some poles in a formation in the centre of the schooling arena. This was an exercise we had done many times.
"As she cantered down the centre of the arena her horse sped up then did a big buck.
"Lesley came down by the last pole. She had fallen directly onto her head and her body seemed to flip over."
She explained how she rushed over and shouted for someone to call 999.
Mrs Woods said Ms Morton was 'blue' and not breathing and she feared she had broken her neck so she held her head still while other bystanders gave CPR, assisted by the 999 call handler.
Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp, area coroner for Hampshire, ruled her death was an accident and as a result of a spinal injury.
The coroner said: "It's true that experienced horse riders learn how to fall. They learn how to protect themselves.
"Lesley Morton was an experienced horse rider who was thrown off her horse, landing on her head while practising jumps with her friend."
"She had been riding horses for years and years and years. She was a very accomplished horsewoman.
"They were her life really, horses, so in some ways it is good that she was doing something she enjoyed, but what a terrible tragedy."
After retiring from Hampshire Constabulary in 2015, Ms Morton worked at Waitrose and as a support worker for the You Trust.
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