The New Zealand racing industry was left in shock following a tragic horse-riding accident where Megan Taylor, a 26-year-old apprentice jockey got killed, find out how it happened and her cause of death
The shocking incident happened on Friday, December 15, when Taylor was taking part in the $14,000 maiden race at Ashburton.
NZ Jockey Megan Taylor Cause Of Death, Age, Family, Career, Stats, Instagram
Apprentice Kiwi jockey Megan Taylor has been killed in a race fall in Ashburton today.
Taylor was in her third season of riding and has ridden 16 winners.
This is the second death of a jockey in New Zealand this year.
👉 More on this story: https://t.co/a18PZwRE6v pic.twitter.com/Gi5iBqd6Fl
— 1News (@1NewsNZ) December 15, 2022
Taylor previously worked for Tim and Jonelle Price, which is New Zealand’s Olympic equestrian pair before she started riding. The 26-year-old was in her third season of riding and had won 16 of her 236 starts.
Apprentice jockeys are paid a fee for each race ride as well as 5% of any prize money won by the horse they are riding.
How The Shocking Incident Happened
According to reports, Megan Taylor was riding a horse named Red Orchid during the race at Ashburton. While racing, her mount apparently got caught between two other horses and she immediately crashed to the track. The tragic incident happened right after 1 pm local time.
Following her fall, one of the three other horses involved in the accident struck Taylor. Officials declared Taylor as dead on the spot right after the accident. The other three riders Diego Montes de Oca, Samantha Wynne, and Tin Comignahgi, reportedly sustained non-severe wounds.
Tributes From Various People
Following the tragic incident, Taylor’s friends and various other people and organizations shared their tributes for the former rider.
Racing Minister Kieran McAnulty tweeted about Taylor, stating:
I’m incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of jockey Megan Taylor during a race this afternoon. I want to pass on my deepest sympathies to Megan’s family and friends, and to all of those in the industry who worked alongside her and knew her.
Last Social Media Post
Before her death, Taylor shared a social media post, which is now her last post. In the post date 15 September, she shared about her love for horses with several pictures of her.
Horse-riding Career
Back in 2021, Taylor shared how she got into horse riding and being a jockey. Before she became a rider in 2019, Taylor had been spending her time in Europe the last couple of years working for Tim and Jonelle Price, New Zealand’s Olympic equestrian pair. However, when her visa got expired, she came back home to New Zealand and started looking for a trackwork rider position.
Taylor shared how she always loved working with animals, and shared how she worked in a shearing shed for three years after leaving school besides her work as a groom. She revealed how people often told her that she had the built to become a jockey. She eventually took to riding and shares how it came pretty naturally to her.