3 horses die, 4 riders injured during race

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB/Gray News) - Three horses died and four riders were injured after a collision during a horse race in Nebraska on Sunday.

The incident occurred during the final race of the day when two horses collided, causing three jockeys and their horses to fall on the track at Fonner Park in Nebraska.

The race continued, and a riderless horse crashed into the horse of the track’s outrider, a horseman employed to supervise the events and to help as necessary, severely injuring both horses.

Those two horses had to be euthanized from their injuries, and one of the horses that took the initial fall in the race was pronounced dead from a broken neck.

“It makes me sick to my stomach to see any horse or its rider be involved in such a horrifying tragedy,” Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak said.

Two jockeys were released from the hospital with minor injuries. Another jockey underwent surgery for a fractured humerus bone on Monday. He also suffered a separated shoulder. The outrider suffered a concussion and injury between the lung and chest wall.

Kotulak says first responders acted quickly and that staff, security and emergency medical personnel did exactly what they have all been trained to do following the tragic incident.