In a truly tragic twist of events, local jockey Jorge Herrera died from head injuries sustained when he fell from his horse last Thursday at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton.
Herrera, 33, was thrown in the final race of the day at the fairgrounds racetrack. He fell around 5:15 p.m., a spokeswoman for the Alameda County Fair told CBS.
According to ABC, Herrera's horse, Morita, tripped on the heels of another horse, Tribal Sun. One of the animals is believed to have stepped on Herrera's head, killing him.
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"This was a horrible situation of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," fair-circuit racing secretary Tom Doutrich told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It's a horrible story. We do everything we can to try to prevent injuries, but it's a very risky sport."
Paramedics treated Herrera at the scene before he was transported to Eden Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
“We are in shock and sorrow," fair organizers said in a statement. “Our heartfelt sentiments go out to his family.”
Herera had ridden sparingly for the last three years, mainly in Oregon and Washington.
His death came 37 years to the day that jockey Juan Gonzalez was killed in a race at the Alameda County Fair.
Watch a video of the race, courtesy of CBS News, below: