Dressage rider qualifies for nationals a day after lorry accident
A dressage rider who had to be cut free from her horsebox following an accident qualified for the national championships the following day.
Wiltshire-based Sam Rahmatalla planned to stay with a friend the night before competing at the British Dressage summer regionals at Bury Farm (8-11 August).
She was travelling with her dachshund Widget and her six-year-old horse Hawtins Falerno (Doodles) when she was involved in a collision with a van on the A413 at Adstock.
The fire service, police and ambulance were called to the scene.
Sam had to be cut free as her legs were caught in the cab.
Lisa Hopkins, Sam’s friend and fellow dressage rider, picked up Widget and Doodles in her lorry and took them to her house.
Sam was taken to hospital and X-rays revealed she had not broken any bones.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“Amazingly I got away with soft tissue damage,” Sam told H&H.
Doodles was checked by a vet and was found to have not sustained any injuries.
Related articles:
- Dirt bike accident leaves junior dressage star in hospital
- A championship amateur dressage riders can’t afford to miss
- ‘I live life, I set goals and I keep pushing’: how one para dressage rider beats the odds
“I lunged him in the morning and he was good, in fact a bit wild as it was his first time staying away from home,” said Sam.
“I knew I’d regret not trying to compete so decided to try.
“It was very painful getting boots on as my right foot had been crushed on to the brake by the steering column.”
Sam’s persistence paid off and she finished fourth in the elementary gold (11 August).
She scored over 72% and qualified for the nationals.
“You can never expect to do well, especially as this was his first championship I didn’t know how he’d cope, but he’s always regularly scored over 70% and is a bit of a cool dude, so I wouldn’t have bothered if I thought we didn’t have a chance to get through,” Sam added.
“I certainly questioned by sanity while I was getting my boots on my squashed legs!
“I’m incredibly proud of him and he deserves to compete at the nationals.”
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.