The riders and horses who fell at Badminton (24 April) are all on the road to recovery.
Ireland’s Elizabeth Power, who fell at the Sunken Lane and was airlifted to hospital, told H&H she was “doing OK, but still pretty shaken up”.
She added: “I haven’t broken anything and it is just concussion, but I can’t remember a thing and don’t know how long I’ll be out [of action] for.
“It’s all so surreal and hearing people talking about it, I can’t believe it happened to me. I don’t know how it happened, [her ride] Kilpatrick River was going absolutely magically until then.”
As H&H went to press, Elizabeth was due to see a neurologist to assess her concussion.
Fellow Irish rider Camilla Speirs (Portersize Just A Jiff) had a fall at the Pick Ups and was ambulanced off course, but told H&H on 2 May that both she and the horse were “absolutely fine” and that she was already back competing.
Ingrid Klimke was taken to hospital after a fall from FRH Butts Abraxxas at the gate into Huntsmans Close. “The pain is really quite bad, but I was lucky it’s just torn ligaments,” Ingrid said. “I hope to be riding again in 10 days’ time.”
Nicola Wilson’s Bee Diplomatic injured his stifle when misreading a corner at the HS1 Farmyard, but is “walking around and almost back to his old self”, according to the yard.
And Mandiba, the ride of USA’s Karen O’Connor, broke six ribs when falling off the Outlander Bank and is recuperating here before returning to his Florida base.
This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (5 May, 2011)
