A Weybridge woman’s lifelong ambition ended in a fatal horse riding accident in Wimbledon last year, an inquest has heard.

A jury at Westminster Coroner’s Court returned a verdict on Tuesday that Belinda Humphries, 57, accidentally fell off her horse in Memorial Drive, Wimbledon Common, last March, dying of “diffuse brain swelling due to positional asphyxia”.

In a statement by her family, the inquest heard how Mrs Humphries was pursuing her lifelong ambition to ride and own her own horse and had joined Wimbledon Village Stables in 2007.

Mrs Humphries had been riding with her instructor, Vickie Lodge, when suddenly she was hurled from her horse Jacques after it was spooked by some birds in a nearby hedge, causing it to bolt.

The mother-of-three was then hurled head-first into a two-foot deep ditch and her breathing was severely restricted because she had landed with her head tightly tucked into her chest.

Within minutes an ambulance arrived on the scene and rushed Mrs Humphries to St George’s Hospital, Tooting, where she died three days later.

Instructors from Wimbledon Village Stables told the jury how the accident had left them with a “horrible dilemma”, in which they had to decide whether they should risk causing Mrs Humphries to be paralysed by moving her body so she would not choke to death.

The jury had accepted the findings of Dr Peter Wilkins, a pathologist specialising in brain injuries, who strongly suggested the cause of death to be a “diffuse swelling of the brain” which cut off the oxygen supply to her head.

Mr Wilkins explained: “The brain was diffusely swollen which caused an outpouring of fluid.

“But because the brain is trapped inside the skull, a build up of pressure from the swelling means no blood gets to the brain and so it becomes starved of oxygen.”

Summing up the three hour inquest, presiding coroner Dr Paul Knapman, said: “We are all looking back with the benefit of hindsight but there is no doubt that everyone acted with the best of intentions.

“We can all understand the dilemma that they found themselves in.”

Neither the Metropolitan Police nor Merton Council’s environmental health department thought staff at the riding club had acted improperly in dealing with the accident.

Maria Dane, environmental health officer for Merton Council, said: “Staff at Wimbledon Village Stables have a number of first-aid-trained members and they more than meet the required number.

“No action has been taken against them nor would I recommend that any action be taken.”

Did you know Mrs Humphries? Leave a tribute using the form below.