Updated 02/22/2012 05:12 PM
Twenty-Year-Old Killed After Falling Off Horse
A 20-year-old woman died after she fell off a horse in Wayne County.
State Police say Kaylee Rizzo-Brien, of Fairport, was found dead around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on Lyon Road in Palmyra.
The investigation is continuing.
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State Police say it happened around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday along a stretch of Lyon Road in the town of Palmyra. They say 20-year-old Kaylee Rizzo-Brien of Fairport was pronounced dead at the scene.
It didn't take long for the news to spread throughout the horse riding community.
"No matter what the barn, somebody hears something; they call somebody at another barn to see if they know and if they know them. Everybody knows everybody or somebody that knows somebody and it goes around very quickly," said Lea Arcoleo, a riding student.
Kaylee's mother, Cheryl Rizzo, told YNN that her daughter went riding without her helmet. Cheryl said when the horse returned without Kaylee, she went out looking for her daughter and discovered her along the side of the road.
Horseback riding can be a dangerous and unpredictable sport; however, riding instructors say it doesn't have to be with the proper training and equipment.
At Hillrise Equestrian Center in Walworth, Janet Zimmer has been instructing horseback riders for more than 20 years. She says each rider is matched with a horse that meets that rider’s ability and helmets are a big part of the stable's riding safety program.
"The riders put their helmets on, especially when they start grooming the horses. You never know when the horse can whip their head around. They're going to be picking the horses feet so they’re going to be working closely around the horses hooves, so we want to make sure that their heads are protected just working around the animal,” said Zimmer.
Janet knows firsthand the importance of wearing a helmet. She said one saved her life about five years ago.
"My horse just slipped and fell and as it was getting up it stepped on my head. I did have this helmet on. I was taken to emergency, was in the trauma section and Ii did come out with a concussion and my head was swollen and had headaches for three weeks. I don't really think I'd be here today if it wasn't for this helmet,” Zimmer said.
Troopers say their investigation into Kaylee Rizzo-Brien's death is ongoing.