Teenage rider’s hopes of Great Britain team end after horse dies in collision
A car collided with 17-year-old rider Tinks Walker and her horse Benny on a country lane near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, on 2 April. Walker was injured and Benny, a prizewinning event horse, had to be put down at the scene; his loss has ended her hopes of pursuing selection for Great Britain’s young riders’ eventing team next year.
Walker’s family say Wiltshire Police found sufficient evidence to prosecute the driver after a five-month inquiry, but offered her a safe and considerate driving course instead. The family has begun legal proceedings seeking compensation for Walker’s injuries and Benny’s value, which they say was hundreds of thousands of pounds. Benny was a 10-year-old four-star horse previously ridden by Olympic champion Laura Collett.
- A collision killed event horse Benny and injured teenage rider Tinks Walker.
- Walker’s family is pursuing legal action after police offered the driver a course.
- Benny had previously competed at four-star level with Olympic champion Laura Collett.
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On 2 April this year, a car collided with 17-year-old rider Tinks Walker and her horse Benny on a country lane near Malmesbury in Wiltshire. Walker was injured and Benny, a prize-winning horse, had to be put down at the scene.
Benny was trained in equestrian eventing, a sport combining dressage, cross-country and show-jumping. He had previously been ridden by Olympic champion Laura Collett and was valued at hundreds of thousands of pounds. Walker had been preparing him as a potential candidate for selection to Great Britain's young riders' eventing team.
The loss of Benny has ended Walker's immediate prospects of team selection. The horse represented years of specialised training and considerable financial investment in her equestrian career.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The victim suffered serious injuries and the horse—worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and previously ridden by an Olympic champion—was killed. The police established sufficient evidence to prosecute, suggesting the driver's conduct met the threshold for criminal liability. When a collision causes such grave harm, prosecution represents appropriate accountability and recognises the severity of the incident's consequences for the teenager's health, future and career prospects.
The case against
Police possess discretion to pursue alternatives to prosecution when a case represents a genuine accident rather than dangerous driving. A driving course holds the driver accountable for careless conduct while avoiding the costs and trauma of criminal proceedings. Without evidence of recklessness or gross negligence, a proportionate response that still addresses the driver's behaviour—particularly if it was momentary inattention on a country lane—may serve justice and public safety more effectively than prosecution.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Teenage rider devastated after car crashes into her ‘Olympic’ horse Benny who has to be put down – dashing their Team GB hopes”.