Laura Collett determined to ride at Boekelo despite injury

Eventer Laura Collett is confident she will compete at Boekelo next month despite breaking her foot in a fall last Tuesday (9 September).

The horse she was riding, Ouzo, was being vetted for the Brightwells auction at Blenheim Horse Trials (12 September) when the accident happened.

“I was galloping for the vet to listen to his wind when he spooked and reared to one side,” said Laura.

As he turned away, he slipped and fell trapping Laura’s foot underneath him. She broke four of the five metatarsal bones in her foot.

Impressively, Laura still managed to ride in the dressage at Blenheim on Friday (12 September) before getting treatment for her injury.

“I tried jumping Controe on the Thursday afternoon (who was not competing) but it was too painful, so I did the dressage on Grand Manoeuvre on the Friday and then went to hospital,” said Laura.

The foot specialist in Bath told her to rest for the next few weeks.

Laura said she should be fine to take Grand Manoeuvre to the CICO3* at Boekelo in Holland on 9-12 October.

Her plan is to go on from there to Le Lion d’Angers in France for the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships for young horses.

“My leg is too swollen for a cast so I have to keeping icing it and keep it up in a boot which luckily I don’t have to sleep in,” Laura told H&H.

Last year she was in a coma for a week after a fall at Tweseldown, but was riding soon after coming home.

“It wasn’t so bad last year because I could still get on and ride. I am very bored,” she admitted.

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