A Massachusetts community is mourning a young equestrian who died in a tragic riding accident just months after making her lifelong dream come true.
Chloe Christina Smith, 25, of Swampscott, Massachusetts, died on Friday, June 5, after her horse fell on top of her during a riding accident, according to the Boston Globe.
Smith was riding her horse, CruZe, when he reportedly balked at a jump and threw her from the saddle. The horse then rolled on top of her.
She was rushed to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where she later died, her father, Jim Smith, told the outlet.
CruZe also died in the accident after suffering a broken neck.
Smith’s death has devastated the horse community and those who knew her as a bright, passionate, and generous young woman.
Just months before the accident, Smith had purchased the barn where she kept 18 horses and animals. It was the same place where she trained young riders and continued working toward her own goals in competitive riding, according to her obituary.
Her love for horses began when she was a little girl attending horse camp, her mother, Abbe Young Smith, said.
“She ended up with this beautiful farm with an acre of lavender on it,” her mother told the Boston Globe. “She wanted to have a beautiful wedding venue there. She wanted to get married there and stay there her whole life.”
Family and friends are now remembering Smith as a “ball of sunshine” who chased her dreams while still making time to help others.
She volunteered monthly at a food bank and was known for standing up for marginalized communities. Loved ones said she lived with passion, kindness, and a deep sense of purpose.
Smith’s boyfriend of two years, Patryk Tusinski, shared an emotional tribute to her on social media.
“Nothing could have prepared me for Chloe Christina Smith, and the way she would forever change my life for the better,” he wrote three days after her death. “From the very moment I met her, I was overwhelmed by her fierce and pure love.”
Her sister, Hayley Gray, said Smith had finally reached the place in life she had worked so hard for.
“She was in the best place in her life and living her true dream,” Gray told the Boston Globe. “It all came together less than two months before her death. Although that’s horrific, a lot of us are taking some comfort in that she achieved it. We just expected that she would be doing it for another 50 years.”