Four Alberta high school students were lucky to walk away with only minor injuries after a mountain bike spooked the horses they were riding, July 8.
The accident happened near Cottonwood Slough, where trails 6 and 6A converge, according to Mary Fullerton, co-owner of the Jasper Park Riding Stables.
“It was nothing serious, but we did have a freak accident up here,” said Fullerton.
The students were part of a group of 20 high school students from across the province participating in a week-long career and life management course at the Palisades Stewardship Education Centre. The camp is offered by The Learning
Connection, an alternative education program offered by the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division (GYPSD).
“That was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” said Kate Gibson, a Grade 10 student from Banff Community High School, who suffered a bruised tailbone.
The group of 20 students was split up into five groups, each with its own guide from the riding stable.
According to the students involved, a mountain bike suddenly appeared as the trails converged, spooking the horses in the second to last group.
Three horses in that group bolted ahead, forcing two students to jump off their horses in mid gallop. The third horse was being ridden by one of the guides who managed to stay upright and calm the horse down.
“You couldn’t hang on. It was impossible,” said Melissa Sabourin, a Grade 11 student from R.F Staples Secondary School in Westlock, Alta.
“We were talking to the group behind us and all of a sudden [the horses] jerked us forward,” said Sabourin, who suffered cuts and bruises to her arms and legs and cracked her helmet as a result of her fall.
“You couldn’t do anything, so eventually I let go and hit the ground and fell into some trees,” she said.
Without a rider, both horses kept going, scaring the group of horses ahead.
“It was like a domino effect,” said Gibson.
Devon Campbell, a Grade 12 student from Parkland Composite High School in Hinton, was riding in the group ahead and didn’t see what had just happened, but was suddenly aware something was amiss.
“We heard a few horses naying in the distance and then all of a sudden I heard galloping and I turned around and a bunch of horses—a full on stampede—were running towards us,” said Campbell, who injured his wrist.
During the confusion, Campbell said his horse went from a full gallop to an instant stop, throwing him over the front.
“I turned to my side and put out my arm in front of me to break my fall,” he said.
After accounting for everyone, Campbell said he walked back to the stables, which was less than a kilometre away. A truck and an ATV picked up the girls and brought them back to the stables where they were met by Parks Canada staff.
“It all happened quite quickly,” said Kim Wallace, a teacher with The Learning Connection.
“I didn’t see everything because I was in the middle,” she said. “All of a sudden there were horses behind me without students on them. There was quite a big slope beside us and my horse was turning in circles and agitated and not sure what to do and the student’s horse in front of me was doing the same thing.”
Due to the types of injuries, an ambulance was called out of precaution, but it only transported one student.
“Luckily we can look back on it and be relieved that no one was seriously injured,” said Wallace, adding she used the experience as a learning opportunity for the students.
“This course is all about learning how to make decisions and there were a lot of decisions that were made,” she said.
After the accident, Parks staff held a debrief with the students, while the injured parties were taken to the hospital. A second debrief was held once the injured students returned from the hospital to share their stories.
“Our primary means to avoid these sort of things is to educate people,” said Marci Dewandel, visitor experience product development officer for Jasper National Park.
She said there are three different ways Parks educates the public, including reminding people at trailheads that they are on a multi-use trail, educating people through publications, and working with local businesses and organizations, such as the Jasper Trail Alliance (JTA).
“Signage is really important,” said Dewandel, adding she is going to follow up with Park’s visitor safety department and the Jasper Park Riding Stables to make sure the intersection of trails 6 and 6a is safe.
Loni Klettl, a leader with the JTA, stressed it’s important people recognize when they are in a commercial horse area.
“Everyone wants to use Pyramid Bench because it’s so beautiful and it gets to great destinations, but we have definitely realized when you have commercial horse operations there are pinch points,” she said.
“A lot of times it isn’t high speed, it’s because you can’t see, inexperience and not paying attention.”
She said the JTA is working with Parks to improve signage and sightlines on the trails.
“It’s like traffic lights,” said Klettl, “you got to get people through the intersection. So, we’ll be looking at that a little bit closer.”
Paul Clarke
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