An Irish trainer, who has been left paralysed from her chest down after being run over by a horse in a warm-up area, took her case for more than €900,000 special damages to the High Court in Dublin last week (15-16 October).

Deirdre Bourns was knocked down by a four-year-old horse called Miss Red, who was being warmed up by Hayley Dunne at Cavan Equestrian Centre’s indoor championships on 19 September 2012.

Mrs Bourns, from Co. Galway, has sued the Showjumping Association of Ireland, Cavan Equestrian Centre Ltd and Ms Dunne.

She claims Showjumping Ireland did not provide adequate supervision and did not ensure the presence of a safety steward at all times.

She argues that Cavan Equestrian Centre allowed the fences to be positioned too close to each other and failed to remove Miss Red from the warm-up arena, even though the horse had reportedly shown dangerous behaviour.

She also alleges that Ms Dunne failed to exercise adequate control over the horse, which had reportedly run out of control on two occasions before the collision. All of the defendants deny the claims.

The incident has already led to some Irish shows introducing “horse-free zones” in warm-up areas to improve safety (news, 1 May). Plastic traffic barriers of 1.20m in height are positioned between fences to create safe areas “where a groom or trainer can retreat after adjusting the fence”.

Ms Bourns spent months in rehabilitation after the accident and still needs a number of carers to help with all aspects of daily living.

The court was told that after discussions on Thursday (16 October), progress had been made and the case could be adjourned for a month.

This news story was originally published in Horse & Hound magazine on Thursday 23 October, 2014

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Paralysed former stable lad, Paul “Barney” Bamford, has completed a 110-mile journey to raise money for Racing Welfare.

Barney set off from Redcar racecourse on 14 May on his specialist handcycle and arrived to a hero’s welcome at Doncaster racecourse on Saturday, 19 May.

The 41-year-old was working for trainer Les Eyre in 2006 when he had a fall while riding out.

He is now paralysed from the chest down but decided to set off on his ride -“Barney’s Challenge” – to raise £100,000 for the charity, which he credits with saving his life.

Racing Welfare funded his airlift to the spinal injuries unit at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield immediately after his accident.

And it has since helped him with specialist housing, wheelchairs, standing frames and retraining courses.

Barney’s journey, in his specially adapted arm-powered tricycle, equates to five marathons in six days.

Richard Negus of Racing Welfare, who followed Barney at five mph in a horsebox for the entire ride, said: “Barney is amazing and over the past few days I’ve really got to know him better.

“Life is a real challenge for him but he smiles it off – I feel a lot better for knowing him.”

And Barney, whose mantra for the past six days has been “no pain, no gain”, added: “I am very grateful to everyone who has donated.”

• So far Barney has raised £68,568.30 of his £100k target. To donate, visit www.JustGiving.com/BarneysChallenge or http://www.racingwelfare.co.uk/

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A family-run polo club – which closed when one of its key figures was paralysed – is reopening with a tournament on behalf of the air ambulance that saved his life.

Carlton House was set up by James and Harriet Servaes and their daughters Becky and Alice on their farm in north Suffolk in 2006. They ran a successful polo school until late 2008, when Mr Servaes – now 64 – was injured.

Alice Servaes, 28, told H&H: “He was playing really slow club chukkas with some of the beginners when he fell and landed on his head.”

Mr Servaes was paralysed from the chest down. He spent a year in hospital and rehab.

But four years on and Mr Servaes has recovered to the extent that he is running the farm from his office. And now the club, near Bungay, is starting up again, with its first tournament on the 21-22 April.

“We have a whole load of professionals coming, including [Argentine high-goaler] Fabio Lavinia and [former England player] Mark Holmes,” said Miss Servaes.

Tickets are £5, in aid of the East Anglian Air Ambulance and another local charity, St Elizabeth’s Hospice.

Tickets are available on the gate. For more information contact Alice Servaes, tel: 07901 561113.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (12 April 2012)

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An event rider is in intensive care at Leeds General Infirmary after breaking his neck at Beckwithshaw Horse Trials (21-22 August).

Experienced rider Robin Donaldson, 64, from Little Ribston near Wetherby, was taking part in the BE100 class.

His mare Matilda Cruz straddled a fence and the retired schoolteacher fell over her neck, landing on his head.

Mr Donaldson’s sister, Liz Kettle, said he has broken two vertebrae in his neck and is paralysed from the neck down.

He is in a critical condition.

“He is a very experienced rider who has evented throughout his life, riding at Burghley in the 80s,” said Ms Kettle.

“Since retirement he has lived for his horses and has two nice youngsters who he was bringing on.

“The medics at the event were marvellous. All we can do now is wait and see.”

A spokesman for British Eventing confirmed that the accident had taken place and said their thoughts were with Mr Donaldson and his family.

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Show rider Caroline Wareing has been paralysed after an accident at the Staffordshire County Show last week.

Mrs Wareing was riding her own four-year-old Whalton Pearly Queen in the Hack Championship on Thursday (28 May) when the mare was spooked, slipped and fell on Mrs Wareing.

Mrs Wareing was airlifted to University Hospital of North Staffordshire, where surgeons operated on her back for several hours the following day.

Her mother, Jan Gregson, told H&H: “Caroline has severed spinal cord and won’t walk again. It’s a tragedy.”

Mrs Wareing, who turned 32 in hospital on Sunday (31 May), has two young children under five.

“She’s very positive in her own mind,” said Mrs Gregson. “She’s taken the view that she’s still alive and she’ll still be able to cuddle her children.

“Caroline is adamant it was a freak accident and it was not the horse’s fault, she’s the sweetest mare.”

Mrs Gregson said her daughter is likely to stay in the University Hospital for several weeks before being moved to a hospital nearer home to undergo rehabilitation for six to nine months.

H&H showing correspondent Chris James, who was at the show, said: “The horse just seemed to upend. It was a freak accident.”

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “We were called to County Showground shortly after 10am. On arrival crews found a woman who had been injured after falling from her horse.

“She was treated at the scene for back injuries and immobilised before being airlifted to hospital for further assessment and treatment.”

Mrs Wareing and Whalton Pearly Queen won the Novice Hack class at Royal Windsor Horse show last month (pictured top right).

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A rider who was left paralysed from the chest down after her horse was startled by a motorcycle has launched a legal battle for compensation of more than £300,000.

Shelley Brown, 46, suffered serious spinal injuries when her horse, Tommy, bolted and tried to jump a gate, but fell.

Now Ms Brown is suing uninsured motorcyclist Ian Surry of Sandown Road, Southwick, whom she blames for the accident in West Sussex on 18 March 2006. Ms Brown, of Hove, is also suing the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, which provides insurance for the victims of uninsured drivers in some circumstances.

She was hacking with a friend on a single-track road, when they saw Mr Surry on a 250cc trail machine, according to a High Court writ, issued by Scott Rigby of Stewarts Law.

Because of the noise and speed of his motorcycle, they tried to warn him to slow down, but he continued to approach them at speed before turning in front of them into a car park, claims Ms Brown.

Tommy spooked before bolting into a bridleway, where he tried to jump a gate. He hit the top of the gate and fell, causing catastrophic injuries to Ms Brown.

She is paralysed from her chest down, and fears she is at risk of developing a cyst on her spine as a result of the accident.

Mr Surry held only a provisional licence and was not insured to drive on the roads, the writ claims. Ms Brown brands him negligent and that he failed to keep a proper lookout for horse riders, rode towards them at speed and failed to respond to their signals to slow down.

Mr Surry also negligently failed to manage his bike, either by driving at a reasonable speed, slowing down, or stopping to avoid the risk of the horse spooking and bolting, it is alleged.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (7 May, ’09)

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Jockeys Jenny Carr, Lucy Gardner and Claire Little are planning a parachute jump in racing colours in April to raise £6,000 for an all-terrain wheelchair for Sarah Gaisford.

Sarah broke her back in a racing fall at Exeter on 20 December. She is progressing well at a spinal injuries unit at Odstock.

More information on how to donate from Jenny Carr. Tel: 07706 550218.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now