‘I spoke to five surgeons before I found one willing to operate’: event rider returns from major injury to win
Indie Vaughan-Jones and All Over At Midnight win at Great Witchingham in March 2022.
(Image credit: Real Time Imaging)
In the past two years, Indie Vaughan-Jones, who won a BE105 section at Great Witchingham (25-26 March), has undergone knee ligament reconstruction and dislocated and shattered her elbow. The latter injury happened in a fall last September and required major surgery. The outcome, she was warned, could have been life-changing.
“The head of my radius had broken into little pieces and I’d also severed the main ligament in my arm,” explained Indie. “It took speaking to five surgeons before I found one who was willing to operate.”
But the 24-year-old not only defied the doctors who said she would be out of action for at least a year and would likely only reclaim 50–75% of her range of motion, but returned to the saddle three months post-surgery to begin her preparation for the new eventing season.
“At the time of my injury, I held my point-to-point licence, which meant I was able to gain quick access to physiotherapy at Peter O’Sullevan House thanks to the Injured Jockeys Fund,” explained Indie Vaughan-Jones, who produces young horses, teaches, takes in racehorses for pre-training and – until last year – rode the odd pointer from her family’s yard in Wells, north Norfolk.
Her winning partner at Great Witchingham was the seven-year-old All Over At Midnight, bought from Goresbridge sales three years ago.
“He’s super-talented and I’d love to be able to keep him and take him up the grades,” she added.
Read more from Great Witchingham in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine (out 7 April).
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