Olivia Inglis was farewelled by her family, friends and the equestrian community at St Jude’s Anglican Church in Randwick, NSW on Monday 14th March.
Two officers from the NSW mounted unit stood guard at the entrance to the 151-year-old church as hundreds of mourners, including well-known racehorse trainer Gai Waterhouse and Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates, attended the funeral.
17 year old Olivia was laid to rest in a bright aqua blue coffin adorned in fuchsia orchids and pictures of her riding her beloved horse Coriolanus, who also lost his life as a result of the accident at Scone Horse Trials, were on display at the entrance to the church
Many of the local eventing community were in attendance and others remembered her in their own tributes. At Tonimbuk Horse Trials in Victoria Sam Jeffree, the 2015 Young Victorian Eventer of the Year, who knew Olivia well and competed at many events with her, read the poem “She’s Gone”, replacing the second last word to read as “ride on” instead of “go on”…
She is gone
You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she’s gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
David Harkins, © 1981
Following Sam’s speech a host of black and white balloons were released over the Australian countryside. One white balloon separated from the others to quickly rise in the blue sky and leave the rest behind .................
A scholarship for young Eventing riders has been established in memory of Olivia. The Olivia Inglis Eventing Scholarship will provide emerging riders with funding to support their training and competition and a donation page for the Scholarship fund can be found at https://asf.org.au/project/olivia-inglis-eventing-scholarship/
