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‘I was stung by a wasp and couldn’t bend my hand’: Blenheim Horse Trials rider defies the odds for emotional cross-country clear

Martha Terry Martha Terry

    • Holly Needham was emotional after steering Forever Noble (Fritz) home clear in the Blenheim Horse Trials cross-country phase. Holly has had a rocky season, with her other top horse, Hendrix, suffering a fatal injury at Bicton four-star in June. This week at Blenheim didn’t start brilliantly either, as Holly had an adverse reaction after being stung by a wasp on trot-up day.

    “I was stung on Wednesday, did my dressage on Thursday and it was fine, but on Friday I woke up and I couldn’t bend my left hand at all,” said Holly, 21. “I went to the doctors and they gave me whatever they could, and I iced it all day. I had to walk the course holding my hand up as if it was in a sling. It’s amazing it’s gone down; it was absolutely huge.

    “I had no idea I was allergic to wasps. I was very worried I might not be able to ride today. Fritz is now my only horse at four-star after I lost my chestnut, ‘Harry’, at Bicton, and I should have had him here too.”

    Blenheim Horse Trials cross-country: “It means so much to me”

    Holly showed no side-effects from the swollen hand across country. Forever Noble, a 10-year-old by Cormint, “flew round” clear with just 5.2 time-faults to add to their dressage of 36.9. It was a bittersweet round. Holly has only competed at a handful of events since the sadness of losing Harry.

    “I hadn’t realised but I broke my shoulder in that fall at Bicton, I had no idea – obviously the adrenaline was so high,” Holly said. “I showjumped Fritz afterwards, and he absolutely flew round, but I came out and said ‘I have definitely broken my shoulder’.”

    Holly was sidelined for six weeks and recuperated with the help of cryotherapy. She returned with a double clear on Fritz at Somerford CCI3* at the end of August.

    “He’s an absolute hero; he’s really stepped up after we lost Harry,” she said. “He’s held everyone together – this means so much to me to get him round here today, just for Harry.”

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    Martha Terry
    Martha Terry

    H&H features editor
    Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on dogs of all shapes and sizes. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs, one a street dog from Gambia who was abandoned at three weeks old. Now, her constant companion, whether by her feet at her desk or walking cross-country courses, is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
    Martha Terry

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