The death of Bermuda's Gold on Thursday has prompted criticism from the US Humane Society.

Featured prominently on the anti-animal cruelty charity's crusading web site is the article "Death of an Olympian'' which calls on the organisers of equestrian events to "stop asking horses to perform beyond their physical abilities'' and "scale back''.

The article quotes Susan Hagood, whose role in the charity is not clarified, who described Bermuda's Gold as "an exhausted athlete'' having completed the dressage competition the day before and facing the show jumping competition the following day in the three day "event''.

"Unless it is willing to condemn more Olympians to death,'' the article concludes, "the eventing community must learn to scale back its ambition. It must stop asking horses to perform beyond their physical abilities.

"Organizers must put as much thought into planning safe events as they do into planning challenging ones.'' Bermuda's Gold landed badly on her first jump after completing several miles at a full gallop of a 14.9 mile cross country course which includes 29 obstacles over its last 4.6 miles.

Thirty-eight horses and riders started the race, 13 did not complete the course. Bermuda's Gold and her rider champion MJ Tumbridge were given an offhand compliment -- the Pan Am Games gold medal winner was labelled not an "inexperienced or somehow lesser'' rider.

The USHS claimed there was a great temptation to "push a horse harder, and then harder still'' which could become an "irresistible'' temptation.

Susan Hagood observed: "Even the most conscientious rider will be tempted, especially at the Olympics, where pressure to win a medal for your country can be deafening.''