The 27-year-old daughter of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suffered a concussion and fractured spine after taking a tumble from her horse during an equestrian sporting tournament, her publicist said Sunday.
Georgina Bloomberg fell from her mount, Radio City, when her saddle came loose during a jump while competing in the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament, Kenneth Kraus said.
She was briefly knocked unconscious by the fall Friday night, but walked out of the Oncenter War Memorial Arena on her own.
"It wasn't until the following morning that she had back pain and went to the hospital," he said. "I talked to her yesterday. She said her head was fine."
She was expected to undergo a thorough examination Monday.
"The mayor is very concerned, as any father would be," Stu Loeser, the mayor's spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement.
In the past, the mayor has spoken about his pride in his daughter's success in competitive equestrian events — she's won national jumper events — but also hinted about the dangers of the sport.
In 2008, the mayor told reporters that his main concern was that she "stays safe."
"That's the only thing I'm worried about," he said.
Like many professional equestrians, she's had her share of injuries — she was tossed from her horse in Connecticut and fractured a vertebra in 2003.
She was named by Forbes magazine in 2007 as among the most "intriguing billionaire heiresses" and featured in the HBO documentary "Born Rich." She has also turned her attention to charity, founding a program to make equestrian sports more affordable by recycling used clothing and boots.
Georgina is Bloomberg's second daughter with ex-wife Susan Brown.
On Friday night, she was dressed in costume for Halloween during the Gambler's Choice competition, her publicist said. During the event, riders have to accumulate as many points as possible doing jumps.
