Oliver Townend suspended for seven days

Event rider Oliver Townend has been suspended for seven days following his cross-country fall from Woodhouse Ben in the CIC** at Ballindenisk (20-22 April).

The 24-year-old spent five hours in hospital in Ireland last weekend but was released following X-rays and a scan.

“I was only in hospital so long because the hospital was so busy,” revealed Oliver. “My shoulder is a bit sore but other than that I’m feeling fine. It’s just one of those things, I could compete on Sunday (29 April) but I don’t want to risk my luck ahead of Badminton.”

Under British Eventing (BE) rules, a seven-day mandatory suspension is imposed when there is “no loss of consciousness but with brief symptoms of concussion (all symptoms of concussion must have resolved within 15 minutes both at rest and exercise)”.

BE told H&H his suspension runs from 21-28 April.

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