'I've Lost My Sister' As Well As My Best Friend ; When Sherelle Duke, Irish Top Eventer and Friend of Zara Phillips, Died in a Tragic Fall Last Year, She Left Behind a Heartbroken Family and Boyfriend. But the Memories of Her Life Live On, As Her Sister Sonya Tells Louette Harding

Summary

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This week, as the top riders gather at the Duke of Beaufort's estate at Badminton for the country's premier three-day event, Sherelle Duke's family will be at home in the Northern Irish countryside. They'll be cheering on Zara Phillips from a distance, while also coping with the quiet, daily nature of bereavement.

On 20 August last year, Sherelle, 28, was competing on her horse, Ballystockart, in the cross-country phase of the Brockenhurst Park Horse Trials in the New Forest. She spent months in England each year, pitching herself against the best riders in the world in the most challenging competitions, during a season which lasts from spring through to autumn. She was sometimes lonely and, at one point the previous winter, grew demoralised.

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Extract

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'I've Lost My Sister' As Well As My Best Friend ; When Sherelle Duke, Irish Top Eventer and Friend of Zara Phillips, Died in a Tragic Fall Last Year, She Left Behind a Heartbroken Family and Boyfriend. But the Memories of Her Life Live On, As Her Sister Sonya Tells Louette Harding

She turned as always to Sonya, her older sister. Sonya, who had ridden at international level too, understood the pressures and knew how to boost Sherelle's morale. 'We were a wee team,' says Sonya quietly. 'I probably mothered her a bit too much.' On the morning of the 20th, Sonya sent Sherelle a good-luck text message, just as she always did. She wasn't especially anxious.

Eventing may be one of the most dangerous sports in the world, involving galloping across parkland to tackle a vari...

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