Young horsewoman found dead in her bed a week after falling from her mount

Becky Hastie was a regular competitor at equestrian events and was fanatical about horses.

It is understood the university graduate went to bed complaining of feeling tired last Friday night, but never woke up.

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Ms Hastie was found by relatives in her bedroom at the family home in Kelso, Roxburghshire, on Saturday morning, but could not be revived.

A police spokesman said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Ms Hastie, who graduated in modern European languages and European Union studies last June.

But her family now suspects that a severe fall from her horse, Piccolo, a week earlier, which left Ms Hastie with a bleeding nose, could have been the cause.

A family friend said yesterday: "Becky fell from her horse with quite a thud on to Tarmac and ended up with a bleeding nose.

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"Her mum never thought anything of it at the time but obviously it is a different matter now.

"It is quite ironic if this turns out to be the reason, given Becky's love for horses.

"She was obsessed with them."

Her boyfriend Gareth Jones left tributes on her page on the Bebo social networking website, saying: "I can't believe that you are gone. I just wish that I could have spent more than the last few weeks together to get to know you better.

"At least in that space of time we managed to put a smile on each other's faces.

"You will always have a place in my heart and there won't be a day that goes by without me thinking of you and your random questions.

"You may be gone but you will never be forgotten. R.I.P Becky. xxxxx"

Her friend Matthew Wilkie wrote: "You were one in a million. Why you? You'll be sadly missed."

Miss Hastie, whose funeral is due to take place on Tuesday, was a regular competitor at equestrian events in the area.

After graduating in modern European languages and European Union studies last summer, she worked for six months at the Floors Estate Stud in Kelso.

A spokesman there said: "Becky used to go down to Newmarket to show and sell yearlings.

"She was a total natural when it came to horses, it seemed to be her life.

"It's a real shame what happened.

"We were all shocked when we heard the news. She was a real nice kid who just loved being about horses.

"Becky will be sadly missed and our thoughts go out to her family at this terrible time."

Ms Hastie was taking time out after her degree to work with horses.

She had a stint working at the Duke of Roxburghe's stud at Floors Castle, but gave up so her weekends would be free to go riding herself at race-horse stables near Selkirk.

A Lothian and Borders spokeswoman said the exact cause of death would not be known until after a post-mortem examination. She added: "There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the procurator-fiscal."

Ms Hastie's funeral is due to take place next Tuesday.