Rider crushed to death as his horse falls at eventing fence Fifth fatality in as many months again turns spotlight on cross country safety

The parents of the rising eventing star were last night travelling south to the scene of the accident which killed him.

His mother, Eleanor, and father, Robert, are making arrangements for his body to be brought home. His sister Mhairi, 22, a medical student in Australia, was preparing to fly back to Scotland after the news was broken to her in a telephone call.

An investigation into the tragedy has been launched by the British Horse Trials Association. Its cross-country standing committee, of which Captain Mark Phillips is a member, is already probing four other deaths over the summer.

This is the worst year of multiple fatalities for the sport since records began - in 1993, four people lost their lives. Over the years, cross country eventing has claimed more than 10 times as many lives as boxing, which tends to attract more controversy about its safety record.

Mr McLean was taking part in the advanced intermediate class. It was thought the chestnut gelding, Gracious Me II, owned by Mrs Anne Marshall from Mr McLean's base with the Lawrence David Event Team at Lutton, rolled on top of him. The 11-year-old horse was uninjured.

A paramedic at the event called the emergency services and the injured man was taken to hospital in Gorleston, Norfolk, but was certified dead on arrival.

Mr Tim Taylor, director of the British Horse Trials Association, said there was ''devastation'' among the dead man's colleagues and friends.

''The eventing community is a very close one and we are all deeply shocked by this further tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with Peter's family.''

Spokeswoman for the BHTA, Carolyn Simm, added: ''We are all in shock. As well as looking into this very tragic accident our working party will take an overview of all the accidents this year to see if there is any common denominator.

''If there is a factor which links any of them, we would do our best to rectify the cause. At the moment, there is nothing apart from a horse and rider being involved. The accidents were at different levels of competition and with different types of fences.''

Ms Simm admitted this had been a bad year for fatalities but rejected the assumption that eventing was an overly dangerous sport.

''We have over 160 events in the year and most people come through them without being hurt. There is an element of risk as a horse is not a piece of machinery which can be fine-tuned, it is a living animal with a mind of its own.

''The challenge for the rider is to become attuned to the horse and ensure that the jumps are cleared and you make it round the course. There is an adrenaline rush involved, but the people who take part are dedicated to the sport and take every precaution to be safe.''

Ms Nicola Gregory, spokeswoman for the British Horse Society, said riding on the roads was far more dangerous than riding in horse trials. But she admitted people would be asking questions about the safety of the trials after the latest accident.

''This is a tragic thing to happen, but the most dangerous thing you can do on a horse is to walk it down a country lane. Far more people die on the roads on horseback than in competition.''

On average one person a year dies in horse trials, whereas about 10 die on the roads, Mrs Gregory said. ''Accidents do happen, but after the fifth accident in a few months, people will be asking questions about what is going wrong.

''Horse riding is a risky sport and people competing in horse trials are at the peak of their sport. They are at Olympic standard and I suppose the equivalent would be climbing Everest.''

Mrs Gregory added that jockeys fall from their horses around 600 times in their careers, but were rarely killed. ''The problem with eventers is that they will stick in the saddle no matter what - that is one of the skills that is being tested. So when a horse falls the rider is not thrown clear and the horse may fall on top of them.''

Ms Pippa Cuckson, deputy editor of Horse & Hound magazine, said: ''The equestrian world is definitely not indifferent to these awful accidents. It is a very small world, so everyone has been very affected by what has happened.''

A statement from the dead man's family said yesterday: ''Peter has been riding horses since he was a boy and always wanted to succeed. Although he knew the danger involved, he loved the sport so much. He was not deterred by the risks.''

His cousin and close friend Mr Cameron Cox, 24, from Carstairs Junction, Lanarkshire, said: ''I grew up with Peter and we were very close. He was a very experienced rider and we have no idea what could have happened.''

Before moving to England to ride for an unnamed couple, the young Scot worked for almost 12 months at a Lanarkshire stable teaching other people how to ride.

His former employer, Ms Anne Bowerbank at Meadowhead Stables, near Carluke, said all the staff had been left stunned by the news of his death.

Association launches urgent inquiry

AN urgent investigation has been launched by the British Horse Trials Association following four other eventing deaths in the last five months.

Simon Long, 38, was the last eventer to die before Scot Peter McLean when he fell at Captain Mark Phillips' course at the world famous Burghley Horse Trials two weeks ago.

The accident happened on the same day as the funeral of Polly Phillips, 30, who had been a contender for the Olympic Games. She died in a fall at the Scottish Open at Thirlestane Castle in August.

Australian rider Robert Slade died in June when his horse rolled on to him after he fell at a fence at the Wilton Horse Trials near Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Just a month earlier, Peta Beckett, 33, a member of the British three-day eventing team, died when she was crushed by her horse during a cross-country competition at Savernake horse trials in Wiltshire.

The mother-of-two was killed when she was catapulted from the saddle as her horse crashed into the first hurdle of a two-stage jump.