DOHA, Dec 7: Tragedy struck the Asian Games Thursday when an experienced South Korean equestrian rider died after his horse threw him from the saddle then crushed him, sparking calls for a full inquiry.

The horse, Bundaberg Black, hit a fence and stumbled, tossing Kim Hyung Chil to the ground during the individual cross country competition. The mare fell on top of him and the Seoul resident, 47, never regained consciousness.

He was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead soon after. The horse survived with no noticable injury.

South Korean Olympic chiefs demanded a probe to find out whether or not the competition, held in pouring rain, was mismanaged.

“We want to know if it was the rain or mismanagement of the competition. We talked to the Korean equestrian federation representative at the course and he said that the horse mistimed its jump and slipped,” said Kim.

“We have doubts over the schedule being too tight and the fatigue of the horses. The Games organising committee and the Asian equestrian federation should look into this matter.”Kim was also furious that the competition resumed despite the death of his compatriot.

“We believe that the event was resumed a little too quickly,” said Kim.

The International Equestrian Federation said a full inquriy had been launched.

“We have opened a formal inquiry into this tragic accident. I don't want to speculate on the results of that inquiry until it is completed,” said federation vice-president Chris Hodson. “To my knowledge it is the first time this has happened at the Asian Games.”

Kim, a father of two, was an experienced rider and had won a gold medal on Wednesday in the dressage event. He had competed in Olympic Games and was a silver medallist at the last Asaid in Busan, South Korea, four years ago.

The dead competitors' family will arrive in Qatar on Friday and the rider will be buried in the national cemetary in Korea.

Despite the tragedy, the Korean team have yet to decide whether or not they will continue in the rest of the equestrian programme which runs until December 12.

Hodson said the death would inevitably force some deep thinking about the future of equestrian as an Asian Games and Olympic sport, but expressed confidence that its standing would not be affected.

“It's not just activists concerned about this. It's all of us in the equestrian community,” he said of injuries to riders and horses.

“I'm absolutely confident that equestrian and eventing will continue and we will discover that there are lessons to be learnt from this.” It is the eighth death linked to the Asian Games, although the first of an athlete.

Last week a 60-year-old Indian woman working as a volunteer died after being hit by a car as she crossed a busy, city centre street.—AFP