By MARLEY LIEN-GONZALEZ
On her 14th Birthday, Ryan Haselden’s heart stopped three jumps into the Venice Equestrian Tour 1.20 m Stakes Class.
Grand Prix-hopeful Ryan grew up riding. Her mother, Lindsay Haselden, co-runs with fellow trainer Megan Thiel a top-level training and sales business called EqSport International, operated out of Alpharetta, GA, where Ryan has rocketed up the jumper ranks under Lindsay’s watchful eyes.
The young showjumper was competing at Fox Lea Farm, home of the Venice Equestrian Tour, while her family’s business was located in Ocala, FL, for the winter horse show season.
February 19, 2025, unfolded in typical fashion for Ryan, with the added excitement of reaching a new teenage milestone. No one could predict that Ryan’s life would change in a heartbeat while on her second mount of the day, Hector Du Gue.
For spectators in the crowd, including Ryan’s father, Will Haselden, it appeared that after soaring over the first few obstacles, Ryan went limp on the way to fence four. Confused by the sudden lack of directions, her horse instead jumped the shrubbery to the side of the jump, and Ryan slid off.
“I remember saying to the person next to me, ‘Wow, that’s really bizarre,'” said Will. Ryan’s mother, Lindsay, who was mounted on a different horse to watch her daughter, trotted over to the far end of the ring where she lay while her father crossed briskly on foot. Once they reached her, it took seconds to register that this was not a normal fall. Something was seriously wrong.
Their daughter’s heart had stopped. She’d gone into cardiac arrest.
Watching from the stands, a doctor, Karley Koch, dashed to Ryan’s side when she realized the young rider lacked signs of life. Koch began resuscitation alongside horse show EMT Katie McFee–buying Ryan critical time. When an automated external defibrillator (AED) appeared at the scene moments later, paddles surged electricity through her, and Ryan’s heartbeat returned. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital.
Ryan survived because Koch helped McFee facilitate what Will called “Four rounds of good quality CPR.” During this, Fox Lea staff swiftly arrived with the on-site AED that saved her.
“Dr. Koch wasn’t even at the ring in a medical capacity,” said Will, “She was there spectating and to horse show herself. We are eternally grateful that she was there and able to assist.”
The Haselden family has launched a new foundation to spread awareness and offer training on CPR deliverance and AED use, without which their child would be unable to continue doing what she loves. The Impulsion Foundation was born following Ryan’s hospitalization to seize the abundant compassion swirling around the horse community and to cement measures to make all horse shows safer.
For them, it was more than just a miracle that saved their daughter’s life. It involved well-trained individuals and the execution of proper emergency response. Their mission is now to make sure all horse shows can do the same in the next emergency.
“Kim Aldrich-Farrell, who owns Fox Lea Farm, has been a huge proponent of automated external defibrillators (AEDs),” said Will. “She’s been on several committees and advocated for AEDs to be on-site at all shows.”
Because of Aldrich-Farrell, a functioning, up-to-date AED was at the farm when Ryan fell from her horse. And because the staff was trained, they knew where to retrieve the defibrillator and how to use it. That is why Ryan is still alive.
Anything Can Happen
As a result of the massive support from the horse show community, the Haseldens provided updates to many concerned fellow equestrians, “No, this was not a riding accident; it was a medical emergency. Yes, Ryan is expected to recover, and she will be able to ride again.”
A rare heart condition called Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT) caused Ryan’s heart to stop. She was later diagnosed at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. It would have been fatal had there not been a defibrillator at the horse show and someone confident using it.
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) only requires Hunter/Jumper, excluding Jumper Level 1, competitions to have an AED on-site.
According to HJ105.j: “An automated external defibrillator (AED) must be operable and placed in a designated, safe location. All qualified medical personnel must be informed of the AED’s location prior to the start of competition.”
Will says, “It is important that as many people as possible know how to give CPR and are confident giving CPR–that know what an AED is, where it is, and have the confidence to pull it off the wall.”
What is the alarming number one reason AEDs aren’t used? Because they’re intimidating–despite being designed with instructions for a layperson to operate. Ryan’s family stresses that education and awareness are the first steps to safer environments.
Says Ryan: “I definitely think that every show should have an AED because that saved my life and is why I’m still here today. CPR training is also very important. People should be prepared for anything life-threatening that happens, even if you’d never expect it to–especially to a healthy 14-year-old kid.”
After her CPVT diagnosis and surgery procedure, Ryan now has an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in her shoulder, which will be controlled with medication for the foreseeable future but will protect her from further cardiac events. She will continue riding and hopes to still meet the goals she set before discovering CPVT.
“She’s been riding since she could walk and grown up in a barn. She adores the horses, she adores the hard work, she braids her own mounts, she does her own care. She’s a horsewoman through and through, and this is very much her identity,” says Ryan’s father, “The ability to continue being a part of this wonderful sport that we’ve all grown to love means everything to her.”
Ryan says, “I still want to do the same things I was planning on doing this year, whether they end up happening or not. My two main goals are to return to the North American Youth Championships (NAYC) again this summer and attend the Dublin Horse Show in Ireland.”
Igniting Change
The Impulsion Foundation is already taking flight in Alpharetta, GA, the close community where the Haseldens run EqSport International with Thiel.
“We have found a local company that has agreed to help us facilitate classes, and our family is going to sponsor CPR and AED certifications for every single person who wants them,” says Will.
The first four CPR/AED certification events, held on March 24 and 31 in affiliation with the Wills Park Foundation, filled up on the first day. Another two events were scheduled for April 14 and are almost fully loaded. With that completed, Will says, “We’ll have had at least 120 people trained.”
As the young face of this movement in local and global horse communities, Ryan says, “I’m happy that action is being taken. I’m glad that people have chosen to put AEDs in place and are actively trying to make a difference.”
The neighboring city of Milton, GA, is helping The Impulsion Foundation with its next goal, says Will. “We met with city leaders to start talking about fundraising efforts that will help us to subsidize the cost of AEDs for the community.”
The Haselden’s and The Impulsion Foundation also turned to their local government for support–lobbying for stronger laws surrounding AED placement.
“The Impulsion Foundation will have three mandates:
The first is education and awareness. Getting as many people CPR and AED certified as possible.
Number two will be subsidizing AEDs—fundraising and distributing AEDs as broadly as possible.
And the third mission is a lobbying effort which includes working with both state and equestrian specific safety and regulatory committees to raise the chance for better outcomes.”
-WIll Haselden, Ryan’s Father
The laws around AED placement differ from state to state. The Impulsion Foundation is first targeting the state of Georgia’s reportedly weak laws. After sharing his daughter’s story with city officials and urging for improved legislation, Will says, “I hope to be a case study to inspire other people, horse and non-horse related, to take this issue up in their own legislatures.”
If you’re interested in taking action, investigate your state’s laws on AED placement, inform and educate yourself, and spread awareness to others. The Impulsion Foundation hopes to expand its training initiatives, and many organizations offer CPR and AED training classes. Find some near you, and encourage your barn members to join.
One difference anyone can easily make is downloading the Pulse Point app and joining their online safety network with the goal of increasing cardiac arrest survival.
Watch to learn more:
