Jonty Evans suffered ‘a significant brain injury’ in Tattersalls fall

Jonty Evans is still unconscious after his fall on the cross-country course at Tattersalls on Sunday, 3 June and has a significant brain injury.

The latest update from Horse Sport Ireland says: “The family appreciate that people do wish to understand the nature of Jonty’s head injury and we can confirm that Jonty has not yet recovered consciousness after his fall. Although [he is] no longer under heavy sedation, further tests in the past few days have shown that it is a significant brain injury and it may take Jonty many months to recover. The Beaumont Hospital medical team continue to emphasise that every case has to be treated individually and people’s recovery rates vary case by case.”

The statement also confirms that Jonty is still in a stable condition in intensive care at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, under the care of the hospital’s neurological team.

“Jonty’s family would like to express their thanks to the wonderful staff at the hospital and for all the best wishes and kind messages of support that have poured in over the past days,” says the statement. “Once again, please do not contact the hospital for information, if there are any changes in Jonty’s condition, further updates will be issued in due course through Horse Sport Ireland.”

Jonty and Cooley Rorkes Drift (Art) — the horse he secured the ride on last year by crowdfunding to raise £500,000 — were competing in the CIC3* at Tattersalls last Sunday when the rider suffered a fall at fence 19b, the second element of the Horse Sport Ireland Water Complex, the main water feature on the cross-country.

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Jonty was initially taken to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, and was then transferred to the neuro intensive care unit at Beaumont Hospital.

Cooley Rorkes Drift was not injured in the fall and is safely back at Jonty’s Gloucestershire yard.

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.