Irish show jumper Niall Grimes, who suffered a heart attack on September 28 while in Lexington, at the Kentucky National Horse Show, died on October 3 at the age of 31.
His heart attack was thought to be related to a condition that developed over a period of time, and was ultimately a result of arterial blockage, which led to cardiac arrest. He collapsed while standing in the Annex schooling area (the closest ring to the EMT station).
This location and the dedication of EMT’s Tim harden, Jerry Clemons, Chris Kidd, and ambulance medics can be credited for Niall’s initial chance of survival. After being revived twice in 45 minutes, he was stabilized at Georgetown Medical Center, then transferred to St. Joseph’s Hospital, featuring one of the top cardiac care units in the nation.
After receiving a stent to open the blocked artery, he survived the next four days with some chemical and mechanical assistance. Based on initial CT scans, he also survived with some hope for a return to normal life.
Unfortunately the damage was too great, and after removal from life support he passed at around 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 3.
President of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland, Charles Powell, said today: “Our sincerest condolences go to the family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them on this sad occasion.
“Niall was a highly respected horseman and a noted participant in his chosen discipline of show jumping.”
The announcement of his death said, “Niall Grimes will be sorely missed, but not forgotten. His kind, playful nature, and matching smile will be memorialized in a place where he displayed equal competitiveness and horsemanship, with the planting of a tree in his honour at the Kentucky Horse Park.
“He was a wonderful, kind person who lived the life of a horseman exactly as he wanted. We may do him the most justice by following the philosophy of one of his favourite phrases; ‘We’re here for a good time, not for a long time,’ and by walking away from each meeting as he did, with a simple ‘cheers!’”
