Auf Wiedersehen, Pet star dies aged 63 after being hit by runaway horse
Georgina Lightning was hit by a horse that had veered off course at a rodeo event.
Actress Georgina Lightning, best known for her role in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, has died aged 63 following an "equestrian accident" at a rodeo event.
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Lightning had been shooting a documentary about the three-day Indian Relay event at Enoch Rodeo Grounds in Canada when she was reportedly hit by a horse that had veered off course.
Police responded to the incident at 6.40 pm on Saturday, but the actor was pronounced dead at the scene after being treated by paramedics.
The Enoch Cree First Nation confirmed on Facebook that she had died "following an incident at this evening’s Indian Relay event at the Enoch Rodeo Grounds".
Lightning was taking photos from a media area when the horse hit her, Alberta RCMP confirmed.
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An investigation has been launched by Occupational Health and Safety, the province’s workplace-safety regulator.
Tributes have poured in for the actor, who was a fierce advocate for North American Indigenous cultures and their representation in film and TV.
Her daughter Crystle posted on Facebook: “I have lost my mother, my sons’ Kohkum, my matriarch, my role model, my confidant.”
Former co-star Tim Healy said on X, formerly Twitter: “RIP Georgina lovely lady and a joy to work with.”
Lily Gladstone, the first Native American to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, also reflected on the loss.
Lightning's professional path spanned acting, directing, producing, coaching and cultural consulting.
In 2008, she directed, wrote, and starred in the supernatural thriller film Older than America, becoming the first North American Indigenous Woman to direct a major feature film.
She was best known for her role as Lainie Proudfoot in the British comedy show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
She also had a voice role in Disney's Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World.
Lightning is survived by her three children, who are all either currently or previously working actors.