‘I’m so thankful it’s not worse’: championship horse to miss Pau five-star after freak stable injury
Sofia Sjöborg’s 2025 European Championships ride Govalent has had a “traumatic few days”
Sofia Sjöborg’s 2025 European Championships ride Govalent will not travel to France for Pau CCI5*, after a “traumatic few days” caused by a freak stable injury.
The British-based Swedish rider had to call the vet to “Zack” this week when he was found with a wound.
“All of mine live out overnight and are in during the day to be fed and worked,” she said. “So nothing was any different when Georgy Killengray came back after lunch. Except that she found Zack in his stable with a head wound.
“We are so lucky to have the best vet ever in Fiona Jacob who was out very quickly to discover it was a lot more extensive than just a graze.”
By yesterday (6 October), 11-year-old Zack had X-rays and a CT scan.
“We are so thankful that everything should heal ok,” Sofia said. “He luckily missed the eye structure itself and the nerve. He has two fractures as well as a fully displaced bone fragment at the top of the eye socket.”
Sofia said she has to wait to find out whether this fragment still has a blood supply. If it does, it will reattach, if not it will become necrotic over time and have to be surgically removed.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“And poor guy chipped a tooth to top it off,” she said.
“All this to say that there will sadly be no Pau for Zack… but in the same breath I am so incredibly thankful that it wasn’t worse. The poor guy has been an angel throughout all of this and it’s so sad to see him hurting with nothing we can do.
“Lots of tlc and cuddles and lots of large ‘bee-keeper’ fly masks in Zack’s future.”
Sofia and the Irish-bred Govalent would have been contesting their second CCI5* had they made it to Pau, having completed Luhmühlen in June. They also came second in a CCI4*-S and won a CCI4*-L in Montelibretti in February and March respectively.
● To stay up to date with the latest equestrian news in the run-up to and throughout Pau CCI5* subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.