Emily Gilruth was allowed home from hospital for a weekend with her family before she starts rehabilitation this week.
The eventer had been in hospital since her cross-country fall from Topwood Beau at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (6 May).
Emily suffered a traumatic brain injury in the fall but a statement from British Eventing (BE) on Friday (26 May) said her “overall progress has been really good and she has been discharged for a quiet weekend with her family”.
The statement added that the Injured Jockeys Fund had organised a rehabilitation programme, due to start this week, for Emily at the charity’s Oaksey House in Lambourn.
Fellow event rider Polly Stockton has been posting online updates on Emily’s condition from her mother Shirley Carter.
“Great news – Emily is being discharged from hospital today for the weekend,” Shirley wrote on 25 May. “The IJF organised an assessment session for her at Oaksey House last Tuesday, and she will return there after the bank holiday for four days rehab.
“Emily’s physical progress, apart from her vision, has been excellent, so she has found being in hospital this last week very distressing. However, repair to the brain is measured in months and years, not days, so she is still classed as vulnerable, lacks understanding, is unable to work through complex tasks and needs lots of rest.
“We would like to thank everyone, far and wide, for all their thoughtful and comforting messages. We really have been overwhelmed by them, and Emily loves them.”
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The family has asked for no visitors at present.
The BE statement said Topwood Beau is currently “happily hacking out at home”, having only sustained minor scrapes in the fall.
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