Horse falls on girl, killing her during SC rodeo | News

PENDLETON, S.C. (WBTV/AP) — Authorities say a 12-year-old girl from Chester has died a day after a horse fell on her during a rodeo in Anderson County.

Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Charlie Boseman said Lauren Mackenzie Mathias from Chester died Saturday from head trauma at a Greenville hospital.

Investigators say the girl was riding the horse Friday outside an arena where the South Carolina High School Rodeo Association's state finals were taking place when the horse bucked, fell over and landed on her.

Rodeo Director Monte Beasley told the Anderson Independent-Mail that organizers were shocked because the horse was considered "dead broke" — an animal so trained it isn't expected to buck anyone.

Beasley says the girl was new to rodeo, but wasn't an inexperienced horse rider.

A Facebook group, In Loving Memory of Lauren McKenzie Mathias, has been started by friends of the horse lover.  Hundreds of people have joined the group and have been posting messages of condolenses to Mathias' family and friends.