Georgie Spence determined to compete at Burghley despite injury
Eventer Georgie Spence will be out of action for the next fortnight after fracturing her hand in a riding accident.
However, she is still determined to compete at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials next month (3-6 September).
The British four-star event rider was schooling at her Wiltshire base on Tuesday (4 August) when the horse she was riding snatched the reins and injured her hand.
Georgie thought she was just badly bruised, but two days later the swelling had not gone down so she went to hospital (6 August).
She found out she had fractured a bone in her hand and chipped a bone in her wrist.
“I assumed by the way it happened, that it was just a bruise, so I was surprised when I heard it was fractured,” Georgie told H&H.
“I am still aiming for Burghley — I am going regardless. I will rest it for two weeks and then I will start gradually riding.
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“It’s not too painful if I don’t do anything with it that makes it sore.
“I am still pottering around on hacks riding with one hand as I don’t want to lose fitness.
“It’s lucky it’s just a fracture so it’s not in a cast.”
Georgie has entered 12-year-old gelding Wii Limbo for this year’s Burghley.
“I’m sure I will be fine for Burghley, it’s just one of those things,” she added.
“I am in a good place and the horses are going really well.
“It is a shame to miss Gatcombe but I know him [Wii Limbo] inside out so it’s not the end of the world not to have this one last run [before Burghley].”
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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.