July 27, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina equestrian program is requesting the prayers of the entire Gamecock Nation for junior Victoria Middleton who suffered a tragic accident over the weekend in Vermont.

Middleton was injured Friday, July 24 while bathing a horse in preparation for a horse show in Bennington, Vt. The horse became scared and broke fencing where it was tied, causing the rail to hit Victoria in the face and knocking her to the ground. During the fall, she hit her head on the cement surface.

After evaluation at a hospital in Vermont, Victoria was sent to Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y., where she remains in the critical care unit with facial and brain injuries.

The Middleton family has created a CaringBridge website with up-to-the-minute updates of Victoria’s status. All members of the Gamecock Nation are invited to visit the website and leave words of encouragement in the Guestbook for the family to read. The website can be found at: www.caringbridge.org/visit/victoriamiddleton.

“We really ask all of the Gamecock Nation for their prayers for Victoria and her entire family,” South Carolina head coach Boo Major said. “Everyone is behind her right now. Several of her teammates have already traveled up to Albany to visit her. Her family wants everyone to know that they are reading messages left for Victoria to her as she recuperates, so she will hear them. It is tragic what happened and right now we should all wish for the best.”

Middleton had a strong sophomore season in 2008-09 that was highlighted by an individual national runner-up finish in equitation on the flat, the best finish by a Gamecock this year. In team competition, Middleton went undefeated at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships. She went 11-1-1 on the year with two MVP rides to earn a No. 5 national seed before her amazing run to the championship round.