A woman has filed a lawsuit against the World Equestrian Center (WEC), an event organizer, and a horse rider, claiming she was severely injured when a horse allegedly stampeded through a chute at an “unmanageable speed” during a competition and threw her into the air.
Tammi Catrett filed the complaint on Jan. 30 in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court for Marion County. The defendants named in the suit include Arena Horse Shows of Ocala, LLC (doing business as World Equestrian Center), Equestrian Operations, LLC, Columbus Hospitality, LLC, event organizer Sabra O’Quinn, and rider Nicole Boccaccio.
The lawsuit stems from an incident that allegedly occurred on Aug. 30, 2025, during the “Labor Day Barrel Blast” event held at WEC (1750 NW 80th Avenue in Ocala).
According to the complaint, Catrett was in the arena’s holding pen while she was assisting a student when event organizers allegedly signaled for them to move into the chute for the student’s turn to run.
Simultaneously, the lawsuit alleges that the previous rider, identified as Boccaccio, came barreling back through the same chute. The complaint states that Boccaccio’s horse was traveling at an “unmanageable speed” because the rider’s reins had “fallen into an unusable and hazardous position while racing.”
The incoming horse and rider collided with Catrett, causing her to be “thrown through the air” and sustain serious, permanent injuries.
The lawsuit accuses the venue owners and the event organizer, O’Quinn, of negligence for failing to regulate the safety of the event. Specifically, the complaint alleges the event was “oversold/overcrowded” and that organizers failed to control the flow of participants, allowing multiple horses and riders to enter the chutes at the same time.
The complaint claims WEC “negligently failed to regulate the occupancy of the holding pen and chutes where equines and business invitees were directed to be.”
The lawsuit also alleges negligence against the rider, Boccaccio, claiming she knew the reins had become unusable but failed to take reasonable precautions to stop the horse or warn others of the danger.
Catrett is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 for pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, medical expenses, and lost earnings.