March 29, 2019 2.54 pm This story is over 60 months old

Viral tribute to race horse who died in trainer’s arms after A15 crash

Some of the pictures in this report could be disturbing for some viewers
Trainer Karen held Rocky as he died. Photo: Graeme Scantlebury

Warning: Readers may find the image below distressing.

A horse transporter has described the horrifying moment a van hurtled towards him “on the wrong side of the road” forcing his vehicle and box into a ditch and killing a prized race horse.

Graeme Scantlebury was driving a horse called Rockwood from Market Rasen with his trainer Karen after a race on March 27.

They had reached the A15 near to Caenby Corner, north of Lincoln, when they were involved in a serious collision with a van.

Graeme took to social media to share his experience of the crash, claiming a van veered onto his side of the road. He said he attempted to move onto the roadside but was hit, flipping the vehicle and wagon carrying the 450kg horse.

Lincolnshire Police are continuing to investigate the collision. No fault or cause has been determined at the time of writing.

“It was just a normal day for me,” Graeme recalled the fateful day. “I shouted ‘f**k’ when I realised that we were going to collide with a van.

“You can imagine my relief when I realised I was still alive and so was my passenger. The panic then set in about Rocky.

“We ran around the wagon to find poor Rocky breathing his last breaths as Karen, the most caring of trainers, became inconsolable as he died in her arms.”

Rocky sadly died in the crash. Photo: Graeme Scantlebury

The impact was so strong that it flipped wagon and ripped the roof off.

Graeme, added he has spent the last two days “bursting into tears”, also recalled a conversation about the road being “notorious” for crashes shortly before Rocky died.

“Rocky did not deserve to die, he was a kind horse that only ever wanted to please,” Graeme finishes.

He also thanked people who stopped and helped after the crash, as well as witnesses who gave evidence to police.