Eventer Chris King back in the saddle after serious back injury
Eventer Chris King has just started riding again after more than a month out of the saddle. He suffered an injury to his back, which required a steroid injection.
“I was riding a young horse we had in for schooling at home and it ran out. I felt something happen in my back,” explained Chris, who has ridden at 4-star and won Blenheim CIC3* and Blenheim CCI3* in 2007 on The Secret Weapon. “I’ve been in agony.”
Chris had an MRI scan and a steroid injection. He thought he might need an operation to remove a disc, which would have resulted in 3 months without riding.
“Fortunately I’m on the mend now so I don’t think I’ll need the operation, but I haven’t been able to do much,” he said. “I’ve been to Oaksey House [the Injured Jockeys Fund rehabilitation centre] a lot and they’ve been patching me up and giving me physio.
“I had a little sit on a horse yesterday and schooled today and I’m in no pain. I went back to see my physio afterwards and everything seems to be ok.”
Chris typically starts his eventing season at the end of March or start of April and he is confident he will be ready as normal. Laura Collett, who is now based at the same Lambourn yard as Chris, has been jumping his horses, while wife Zanie Tanswell has been schooling and galloping them.
“They haven’t really missed any fitness work — in fact, they are probably going better with Zanie riding them than if I had been riding!” joked Chris.
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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.