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Two riders have completed a sponsored skydive for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance after the charity’s helicopter was called to help three generations of their family.
On Saturday (18 July) Natalie Brodrick and her niece Izzy Sharpe jumped out of a plane at 12,000ft at Headcorn Airfield, Kent, watched by friends and family.
Izzy, 18, was airlifted to hospital earlier this year (4 March) after she fell from her horse at a riding school in Playden, near Rye.
The air ambulance’s doctor and paramedic feared she might have broken her pelvis so flew her to the regional major trauma centre at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
Five years earlier Natalie, 37, was taken to hospital by air ambulance after she fell of her horse in Camber, East Sussex.
And in June last year Natalie’s parents, Tim and Diana, were involved in a car crash with an oncoming tractor and another vehicleat Peasmarsh, East Sussex.
The couple were treated at the roadside by the helicopter crew before being taken by land ambulance to the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards-on-Sea.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
All four family members have since made a full recovery.
“Riding is a risky sport and we all try to safeguard against injury as much as possible with protective equipment but you just never know what’s going to happen,” said Natalie.
“All four of us have used the service and now we want to give something back.
“It was awesome, a fantastic experience, and I would definitely do it again.
“The most frightening bit was being perched on the edge, ready to jump into the abyss. Izzy went first but I caught her up and we were able to wave to each other in mid-air.”
For more information visit: http://www.justgiving.com/Natalie-Brodrick/
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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.