THE nine-year-old killed in a hunting accident in England over the weekend has been named as Bonnie Armitage, a pony-mad girl who loved riding.

She sustained fatal injuries in the tragic accident which happened with the Cotswold Hunt on a farm at Miserden, near Stroud in Gloucestershire.

It is understood that Bonnie was kicked in the chest by another horse while riding her Shetland pony Lindsay with the hunt.

Her parents Nick and Polly Armitage released a joint statement saying: “She was a beautiful, vivacious and compassionate girl, who touched the hearts of everyone who knew her. She loved riding, and was never happier than when with her Shetland pony, Lindsay.

"We will miss her more than we can say, and we greatly value the prayers of so many of our friends."

The Gloucestershire Echo reports that her mother added: "It was just a tragic accident. I don't want anyone to be blamed for this. It was no one's fault.”

The joint masters of the Cotswold Hunt issued a statement, which read: “As I am sure most of you will be aware, last Saturday’s Meet was over shadowed by the tragic death of nine year old Bonnie Armitage who sustained what proved to be fatal injuries in an accident in the hunting field and slipped away after strenuous efforts by the Air Ambulance Team and Para medics.”

It continued: “A sense of overwhelming shock and sadness is with us all as we try to come to terms with Bonnie’s family’s shattering loss and grief, and we hope that the strength of our community together with the power of our prayers and the sincerity of our condolences will be of some comfort to the family.

In truth we find it hard to write this, as a young life lost is very, very hard to bear.

We would also like to thank the emergency services who did their very best and all who did what they could.”

Horse riders are once again paying tribute to a fellow equestrian by posting their favourite horse riding images while wearing blue.

Posting the images under the hashtag #blueforbonnie , the move is a tribute to the little girl whose favourite colour was blue.