Groton Riding Tragedy Claims Young Swampscott Barn Owner

Chloe Smith, 25, a Swampscott rider and newly minted barn owner, died Friday after the horse she was riding fell and rolled on top of her during what her family described as a routine outing in Groton. She was airlifted to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where she later died.

The horse, Booze CruZe, whom she called “CruZe,” also suffered fatal injuries. Smith’s father told reporters the jumps that day were “routine,” according to The Boston Globe. Smith had recently purchased Highland Hill Equestrian in Berlin, where she boarded horses and taught lessons.

An obituary published by the Daily Item on Legacy describes Smith as the youngest of four siblings and notes that she studied equestrianism at Sweet Briar College before returning home. The notice lists visitation on June 14 and a funeral service on June 15, and it asks that memorial donations be made to Buck Off Cancer and the Deborah Smith Walsh Recuperative Care Center.

Competitive Rider and Barn Owner

Smith competed in eventing with Booze CruZe and had recorded starts across 2024–25, including results that earned AEC qualifying points, according to USEA eventing records. Those entries align with reporting that she was preparing to move up levels and hoped to qualify for the American Eventing Championships this summer. The USEA listings show multiple recent starts with Booze CruZe.

Community Remembers a "Ball of Sunshine"

Friends, students and fellow riders have flooded social media with condolences, remembering Smith as “a ball of sunshine” and “an incredible light.” Nyah Butler and others recalled her big laugh and constant smile, and a Facebook post quoted in local reporting said Smith “would laugh and tell us she’d do it again,” according to The Boston Globe.

Riding Risks and Safety

Horse-related incidents are a well known source of serious injury. National estimates have put nonfatal horse-related emergency department visits at more than 100,000 a year in earlier surveillance, and analyses note that falls, along with situations in which a horse falls or rolls onto a rider, can cause severe trauma. A national analysis published with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention involvement outlines the scale of emergency visits and the central role of falls in equestrian injuries. CDC researchers emphasize helmets, training and careful handling as key prevention priorities.

The family’s obituary and service information remain available on Legacy’s page for Smith, which also lists Solimine Funeral Home arrangements and tributes from friends and clients. The Daily Item via Legacy carries the full notice and donation details.