But you have to go cautiously, especially in cross country, because unlike the jumps in the ring those obstacles don't fall down when you hit them. I have no illusions about my ability - I'm a competent amateur - and I have a bomb-proof, reliable mare who is slow-and-steady rather than a top fuel dragster. We don't go out trying to set any speed records, and we compete one level below what I think we could do if pressed.
Having the money to afford Too Much Horse is probably the single most dangerous factor - the worst riding injury I ever saw was directly due to that. But it's also the accumulation of mistakes - attempting too much too fast, riding above your ability, and then making a mistake of judgment or inattention while on course. From what I hear from horse people, all those things were a factor in Mr. Reeve's injury. But I've never heard a complete account of exactly what happened from a first hand source.
In Chris Reeve's book, "Still Me" he says that he was coming up to a jump and the horse refused, sending Chris sailing over the jump and landing flat smack on his head.
You're right, people can learn to ride as an adult and do ok but I still think that if you are going to do a high powered sport like cross country, you'd better have been riding for a looong time. There's a world of difference between hunter and cross country.
I agree wholeheartedly with everything else you said, Too Much Horse, too much money and riding above your ability. I've seen it a million times, adult starts riding, gets way over-confident, has a small accident, horse is sold. Poor Chris Reeve wasn't lucky enough to have a small accident that would change his way of thinking. I was lucky enough to start riding at a very young age, I healed very quickly after accidents and got right back on. With that early experience, now at age 42 I'm well aware of what I should be doing and shouldn't be doing, to try and stay safe in a risky hobby. I don't heal fast anymore and accidents seem to hurt alot more now than they did when I was a kid.