Top international dressage rider injured
Germany’s Isabell Werth will be out of action with a broken leg for up to eight weeks after a fall out hacking
Former Olympic, World and European dressage gold medallist, Germany’s Isabell Werth, has been injured in a riding accident and is expected to be out of action for the next six to eight weeks.
Last Wednesday, the 33-year-old rider was hacking nine-year-old Apache after a training session when he slipped sideways and trapped Isabell’s leg. She has broken the top of the shinbone at the knee joint, which has been operated on and fixed with a plate at the university hospital in Hannover.
Isabell’s father Heinrich said: “It was one of those unfortunate accidents and the horse is definitely not to blame. The operation went well and Isabell is expected to make a full recovery. She is making good progress, but will be in hospital for another week. She has already started physio and even walked her mum to the door the day before yesterday.”
Isabell was due to leave for the Bremen show the day after the accident. Despite the enforced rest, Isabell is not one to sit idle.
Heinrich said: “One of the firstthings she asked for was her laptop, so she can continue her sponsorship work for Karstadt [one of Germany’s largest chain stores]. She reckons she will be riding before she will be driving – I think we will have to hold her back!”
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