A man was tragically trampled to death during a horse race at a Mexican girl’s 15th birthday party, which had gone viral after it was accidentally posted publicly and included a cash prize for the horse competition.
Rubi Ibarra Garcia was celebrating her quinceanera, a party for girls turning 15 throughout Latin American countries, in the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosi, according to CNN.
A 45-second video posted on the girl’s Facebook page was meant to be for family and friends, but the birthday party announcement went viral and thousands of guests showed up for the event Monday. Extra security was provided by local police.
Rubi and her family made TV appearances from the publicity beforehand and designers even sent her free dresses, CNN said.
More than a million people said they would attend the birthday party in La Joya, which also featured food and music, BBC News reported. The attractions included the horse race, announced in the video by the girl’s father, Crescencio Ibarra. The winner would receive 10,000 pesos, or $490.
Felix Pena, 66, decided he would enter his horse, Oso Dormido, and predicted to a local broadcaster that the horse would win the race, saying he wasn’t in it for the prize money, the BBC reported. “I’m doing it for the fame and the glory,” he said.
Although it's unclear why, video shows Pena, an experienced horseman, stepping into the path of a galloping horse during the race. He died on the way to the hospital.
Another man was hospitalized with a broken leg after falling into the path of horses.
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