Popular Sedgley hairdresser died after a tragic accident coroner rules (From Dudley News)

Popular Sedgley hairdresser died after a tragic accident coroner rules

11:10am Monday 25th February 2013 in News

A POPULAR Sedgley hairdresser who died after falling from a horse was the victim of a tragic accident.

Sharon Dodd, aged 39, suffered head injuries after the fall as she rode the animal, which belonged to a friend, along a track at the rear of Himley Cricket Club.

An inquest at Cannock Coroner's Court was told Mrs Dodd fell from the horse, called Max, after it broke into a trot, she died at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital on November 22, 2012.

As he recorded a verdict of accidental death, coroner Andrew Haigh said: "Max started trotting, Sharon did not intend that, she sat back to try and slow Max."

The court heard evidence that Mrs Dodd, who lived in Wombourne and worked at the Sarah Clarke salon, had a problem with her knee, which may have contributed to her fall.

Mr Haigh said: "She did have a problem at the time, this affected her ability to stop on the horse, this is a tragic accident."

Mrs Dodd, who was described as an occasional horse rider, had been riding Max for around 40 minutes before taking the animal down a lane to its field.

The mother-of-two spent four days in hospital after the accident fighting for her life but died after following emergency surgery to relieve pressure on her brain.

Speaking after the inquest, her husband, Andrew Dodd, said: "She was very popular and well-loved and she loved animals. "Her death devastated everyone who knew her. It was so tragic she died from doing something she loved. She will be very much missed."