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Promising young British event rider withdraws from Burghley after undergoing surgery

Pippa Roome Pippa Roome

    • Promising young British event rider Bubby Upton has been injured in a fall and had surgery on her spine.

    “Five days ago I sadly had an accident riding on the flat, leading to a complete burst fracture of [vertebra] L3 and a horizontal fracture of L2, which required six hours of surgery to stabilise the spine, decompress the vertebrae and fuse L3. I simply cannot thank my surgeon and the whole NHS team enough for working absolute wonders,” said Bubby yesterday (23 August).

    Bubby, 24, has withdrawn both Cola and Magic Roundabout IV from next week’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

    She added: “I think it goes without saying that I am totally distraught for my team, owners, horses and sponsors about missing Burghley five-star when both Cola and Magic were on such flying form.

    “But to be quite honest, considering the severity of the break I am just feeling unbelievably lucky that someone above was looking out for me, as the outcome could have been very different.

    “There is now a very long road to recovery ahead of me, but I will give it my all to get fighting fit again.”

    The injured rider, Bubby Upton, finished 14th at Burghley last year on her debut, riding her mother Rachel’s Cola. Magic Roundabout IV, owned by Rachel and the Zebedee Syndicate, would have been making his first five-star start, having been Bubby’s partner in her under-25 class victory at Bramham Horse Trials in June.

    This is not Bubby’s first serious injury, as she also broke her back in a cross-country schooling accident in the summer of 2021.

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    Pippa Roome
    Pippa Roome

    H&H magazine editor and eventing editor
    Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
    Pippa Roome

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