Equestrian Competitor Georgie Campbell Dies at 37 Years Old — Her Husband Jesse Survives Her

On May 26, 2024, the world lost a light in the equestrian competition industry when Georgie Campbell suddenly passed away. At just 37 years old, the equestrian leader was competing in the CCI4*-S event with Global Quest when they suffered a fall during the Bicton International Horse Trials in Devon. Now, her husband, Jesse Campbell, survives her.

As Georgie’s sudden death makes the rounds on the internet, forcing us to question the safety of equestrian competitions, we can’t help but wonder about Jesse. Who is he and how is he dealing with his wife’s death? He was set to compete in the 2024 Olympics, but will he still compete?

Upon learning about Georgie’s tragic death, many found their way to her shared Instagram with her husband, Jesse Campbell, a fellow equestrian competitor. After Georgie fell into the water at a fence during a cross-country event, she died on the scene, although her horse, Global Quest, walked away uninjured. While Jesse has yet to make a public statement, the Bicton International Horse Trials has shared:

“It is with deepest regret that we announce that Georgie Campbell (GBR) suffered a fatal accident whilst competing at the Bicton International Horse Trials in Devon, England on Sunday 26 May 2024. Medical professionals attended immediately following her fall at fence 5b, however, unfortunately, she could not be saved.

“The horse, Global Quest, was assessed by the on-site vets and walked back to the stable and is uninjured. To respect the family’s privacy at this extremely difficult and sad time, no further details will be shared.” At the time, Jesse has seemingly stayed off of social media, with his last post shared on Nov. 1, 2023.

But Jesse is an equestrian competitor in his own right. His wife’s death will of course be detrimental leading up to his potential 2024 Olympics performance, but it could also cause a crisis of confidence in the sport he’s known and loved his entire life. Like Georgie, Jesse has been training his entire life.

In 2009, he was invited to train in Sweden and the UK, where he established his own yard in 2011. Hailing originally from New Zealand, Jesse was a member of their Nations Cup team in 2013 and has won 21 major New Zealand and International Eventing titles. He was part of New Zealand’s team at the Tokyo Olympics and is supposed to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics as well, although that could change following his wife’s death.

Jesse and Georgie met through their equestrian passion and married on Dec. 12, 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic in the Wiltshire village of Ramsbury. They were supposed to have a 150-guest wedding in November of the same year, but pandemic restrictions forced them to adapt. “In spite of everything, we said we wanted to be married this year,” Georgie said at the time. “We’ll plan to have a big party as well as a trip back to New Zealand as soon as we are able.”

They had just 15 friends and family present at the small ceremony to comply with restrictions, but it was still a beautiful wedding. “The restrictions meant it was much more intimate than it might otherwise have been. The highlight was still seeing Georgie walking the aisle,” Jesse added.

Together, they founded Campbell Eventing, which is an equestrian group based near Lamberhurst in Kent, despite Jesse’s New Zealand roots. Now, the question is if he’ll still compete in the Olympics and how he’ll fare following his wife’s sudden death.

Our condolences go out to Jesse and the Campbells’ entire community of friends, family, and fans.