A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in the Riverside County Court by the parents of a girl who died while competing in the Olympic equestrian sport of eventing. The sport consists of three competition phases: dressage, show jumping, and a cross-country obstacle course. Mia Eriksson, 17, died in November of 2006 when her horse fell at the Galway Downs Three-Day Event in Temecula, CA. The lawsuit states that Mia’s death was partly due to the course being made more dangerous to make it more “thrilling” for viewers. The family says the course also lacked safety precautions that would have lowered the risk of falls. The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages, and blames the United States Equestrian Federation, United States Eventing Association, and Mia’s former trainer, Kristi Nunnink. Ms. Nunnink claims that the Erikssons were aware of the risks involved in the sport. In the past year and a half, fourteen equestrians have died worldwide. Mia’s older sister, Shana, also died in an equestrian accident on the Fresno State campus in 2003. The family also filed a lawsuit in Shana’s death, and the case is currently being appealed.  If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in an accident, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.