VENICE, Fla. — The family of 15-year-old Hannah Serfass, who died in a horseback riding accident in Venice in April, publically shared their message for the first time on Wednesday.
The teen's mother says Hannah's passion was riding.
"I know that she was living her life for God and for the animals. She loved animals," Janine Serfass said.
In her mother's eyes, Hannah was pure sunshine.
"Her eyes glowed, her smile glowed. There was just a light that came forth from her and I think it made people feel comfortable and happy," Janine said.
But nothing made Hannah happier than being with her horses.
"She just loved it. She woke up in the morning thinking about it. She slept about it, she ate about it. Horses were all she wanted to do for the rest of her life and she was very vocal about this is going to be my career," Janine said.
But as her parents see it, God had different plans for her.
On April 30 at Fox Lea Farms in Venice, Hannah was involved in a freak accident. Her horse tripped suddenly, throwing Hannah and crushing her head.
"It was instant. It's just the way they fell," Janine said. "We have gone over it with many authorities over and over again. The horse did nothing wrong. We don't know why he tripped and went down. There's really not a rational reason."
The United States Equestrian Federation released a statement following the accident, saying it "takes every accident very seriously and will be reviewing the accident thoroughly to learn what we can do to minimize risk and increase safety in equestrian sport."
Meanwhile, the family is turning to their faith for answers.
"Our explanation that we can live with is God just really wanted her and he just plucked her up and said you're coming now," Janine said.
Hannah now rests in her "happy place", next to her horse barn on her family farm.
As her family reflects, #RideForHannah is circulating through the equestrian community. It's a reminder to keep living as Hannah would.
"I'm sure she would say from the grave, 'Please get back on and ride.' She would have got back on and rode if she could. And you know, if she had to plan her own demise, this is the way she would have planned it. She was on a horse doing what she loved," Janine said.
A funeral and memorial service were held at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala over the weekend. Janine said it was all organized and paid for by the center's owners, the Roberts Family.
"We just want to say a special thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Roberts and Mrs. Roberts Senior for graciously donating anything we needed at the World Equestrian Center to host Hannah's celebration of life. They donated everything, and they really helped us to make a special day for our daughter," Janine said. "We also would like to thank everyone who has sent messages, mail, gifts, flowers and ribbons. It's been endless," said Janine.
The World Equestrian Center in Ocala plans to plant a tree with a plaque dedicated to Hannah Serfass. Through donations, the Serfass family also hopes to establish a scholarship to support riders in need.