Athina Onassis has suffered a devastating fall from her horse during the qualifying competition for the 54th CHI international horse show jumping tournament in Geneva, Switzerland.
The 29-year-old French-Greek heiress was riding her white mare, Ad Camille Z-Zang, when she took the tumble.
Athina reportedly managed to escape unharmed, but the 11-year-old horse had to be put down.
Just before the fall: Athina is the only living descendant of Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis
The horse was ‘severely injured’ after the fall, and had to be removed from the track using a crane.
After the mare was taken to a veterinary clinic, it was determined that its injuries were so severe that it should be put to sleep.
Athina, who is the only living descendant of Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, last competed with Z-Zang on December 7 at the Gucci Paris Masters in Villepinte, France.
Athina also competed with Z-Zang in October at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Finals in Barcelona. She placed a disappointing 57th.
Her husband, the Brazilian rider Álvaro de Miranda Neto, 41, did better with his horse AD Nouvelle Europe Z, and managed a respectable 24th place.
Heartbreaking: According to French newspaper Le Matin, Anthina appeared to be ‘unharmed’ but her horse was ‘severely injured’ and had to be removed from the track using a crane
Tumble: Athina seemingly rolled free from her horse after hitting the ground
While Athina might not always get what she wants in her riding career, she has long called the shots in her own life, shrugging off her family’s fame and living a quiet life in Brazil’s largest city São Paulo with her husband instead.
The only child of Christina Onassis, the late shipping tycoon’s daughter, she inherited 55per cent of his fortune – which is believed to be worth billions – upon his death.
Since then, Athina has dedicated herself to carving out an equestrian career. In 2012, she fell from an unnamed horse and sustained a spinal injury which took her out of the sport for over a year.
Athina, who competes for Greece, is rarely seen in public but has made an unusually large number of appearances in recent months, as her showjumping career hots up.
This fall and the tragic injury to her beloved horse will doubtless prove to be a huge setback.
