Eriksson

I. INTRODUCTION

In 2006, Mia Eriksson was a 17-year-old equestrian “eventing competitor” and the daughter of plaintiffs and appellants, Karan and Stan Eriksson. Defendant and respondent, Kristi Nunnink, was Mia’s riding coach. In November 2006, Mia’s horse struck a hurdle during the cross-country portion of an event at Galway Downs in Temecula. With the Erikssons looking on, Mia fell off her horse and the horse fell on Mia, causing her death.

The Erikssons sued Nunnink for wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED). The Erikssons alleged that Nunnink substantially increased the risk Mia reasonably assumed by, among other actions, allowing Mia to ride a horse that “was unfit to ride because of prior falls and lack of practice” and concealing this condition from the Erikssons.

In an earlier appeal, we reversed an order granting summary judgment for Nunnink. (See Eriksson v. Nunnink (2011) 191 Cal.App.4th 826 [ 120 Cal.Rptr.3d 90 ] (Eriksson I).) The case was thereafter tried to the court. After the presentation of the Erikssons’ case-in-chief, the court granted Nunnink’s motion for entry of judgment pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section…