Anatomy of a Disaster

Let's face it: we all enjoy a good healthy dose of schadenfreude.  So, while photographing the goings-on at a water jump, there was a small part of me hoping that someone would come a cropper.  Well - they did!

What's interesting is that, because the whole sequence was captured using the motor drive, it's possible to look in detail as to how the situation unfolded.  It's clear from the first picture that neither of the rider's feet are in the stirrups, so what happened next was rather inevitable.  I think the facial expression says it all...

Apart from a slightly dampened spirit and a small loss of pride, you'll be pleased to hear that no harm was done to either horse or rider.