A HORSE-LOVER aged 22 was found dead in her sleep a week after falling from her mount.
Becky Hastie was a regular competitor at equestrian events and was fanatical about horses.
It is understood the university graduate went to her bed complaining of feeling tired last Friday night, but never woke up.
Ms Hastie was found by relat
ives in her bedroom at the family home in Kelso, Roxburghshire, on Saturday morning, but could not be revived.
Lothian and Borders Police said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Ms Hastie, who graduated in modern European languages and European Union studies last June.
But her family now suspects that a severe fall from her horse, Piccolo, a week earlier, which left Ms Hastie with a bleeding nose, could well have been a contributory factor.
Ms Hastie's mother, Rhona, was too upset to comment about the tragedy, but news of the sudden death has shocked people in the town, including the Kelso provost, Margaret Riddell, who described it as a "sad loss of a young life".
She said: "All her pals are devastated, they cannot believe what has happened. Both Becky and her mum Rhona loved horses."
A family friend said yesterday: "Becky fell from her horse with quite a thud on to tarmac and ended up with a bleeding nose. Her mum never thought anything of it at the time but obviously it is a different matter now."
Ms Hastie was taking time out after her degree to work with horses.
She had a stint working at the Duke of Roxburghe's stud at Floors Castle, but gave up so her weekends would be free to go riding herself at race-horse stables near Selkirk.
In the meantime, she had started working at council offices in Galashiels.
Ms Hastie was also a steward at the ride-outs during Kelso Civic Week.
A Lothian and Borders spokeswoman said the exact cause of death would not be known until after a post-mortem examination, but added: "There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the procurator-fiscal."
Ms Hastie's funeral is due to take place next Tuesday.
The full article contains 369 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
