‘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's avatar
By
Published In News
Blenheim horse trials cross-country: Holly Needham and Forever Noble
Holly Needham riding Forever Noble in CCI 4*-L during the cross country phase of the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

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.

Martha Terry
Martha Terry
Features editor

Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion 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.