‘60cm looked like the Cottesmore Leap!’ Four-star rider jumping again after injury
Harry Dzenis is back in the saddle and aiming for Burghley and Luhmühlen this season after he broke two bones in his leg in a fall from a young horse.
Badminton is unfortunately out for the eventer this year, as it will be too soon, but Harry said he is just glad to be riding again, and that the situation was no worse.
“I’ve been lucky in respect of the timing,” he told H&H. “Had it happened now, it would have been a disaster.”
Harry’s fall was on 24 November when the horse he was riding spooked.
“It was just one of those unlucky things,” he said.
“I was in hospital for five days, I had a rod through my knee and ankle, and was only allowed to bear weight on the balls of my feet for seven weeks.
“It was rehab from then on. I got back on a horse three months almost to the day after the accident; it’s good to be back to normality again!”
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Harry jumped for the first time this week (15 March), on his Burghley ride Xam.
“I was a bit apprehensive at first,” he said. “It’s the not knowing what it’s going to feel like; whether it’s going to hurt – at first 60cm looked like the Cottesmore Leap!
“It was all fine and felt very comfortable but Xam, bless him, the last time he jumped was Burghley so jumping round these 60-70cm fences, he must have been thinking: ‘What’s he doing?!’”
Harry’s plan is now to increase his activity – he is riding three or four horses a day – and he aims to ride Star Striker at Bramham and Xam at Luhmühlen and Burghley.
“I’m still only walking semi-sound,” he joked. “No being trotted up for me at the moment!
“It’s the same for me as it is a horse coming back from injury; it makes me appreciate that it must be similar for them as a bit of it is your brain thinking it’s going to hurt and compensating for it.”
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Harry also thanked his “lovely and supportive owners”.
“I’m so grateful to my parents, friends, owners and family that have all helped me out during my injury and Kevin Urwin for keeping the yard going,” he added.
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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.