A teenager who survived a horrific riding accident in 2017 has embarked on a summer-long challenge to raise money for three charities close to her heart.
Lottie Rymer, 17, was knocked unconscious and dragged more than 30m when her foot became caught in her stirrup in a fall three years ago.
She needed facial surgery and has had some neurological issues since, but has made a remarkable recovery and is back in the saddle ahead of the autumn trail hunting season.
Lottie, daughter of the Bicester with Whaddon Chase chairman Pete Rymer, is taking on a weekly challenge for eight weeks during the school holidays to raise funds for Mind, Epilepsy Research and Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Air Ambulance.
“After my fall it seemed that it was going to be necessary to use the services of the air ambulance, but we all know how expensive these are to operate and luckily there was a farm track that enabled the road ambulance to take me to hospital instead,” said Lottie.
“It was a real comfort to me and my family to know [the air ambulance] was available should [my condition] have been critical so I want to raise much-needed funds for this local charity to ensure it is there for others who may be less fortunate than me.
“I lost my cousin Caspar to epilepsy four years ago so raising funds for research into the disease is close to the hearts of me and my family, while I also wanted to raise money for Mind due to the impact that Covid-19 is having on people’s mental health during and after the extensive lockdown period.”
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Lottie started on Friday (10 July) with a 12-hour danceathon. In week two, she is running a staggered marathon, covering 9km/day for five days.
This will be followed by swimming the equivalent of crossing the English Channel in week three – swimming almost 600 lengths every day for five days.
Bored of lockdown? Indulge in a little fantasy by choosing your fantasy equestrian quarantine house, complete with riding facilities and
Polly Portwin, head of hunting at the Countryside Alliance and former master of the Bicester with Whaddon Chase said: “Lottie has made an incredible recovery from the injuries she sustained on the hunting field and it is the same determination and bravery that she showed during her recovery which will no doubt ensure she manages to complete the challenges in order to raise funds for these three incredibly worthwhile causes.”
The other challenges that Lottie has set herself include five days of community service, the Yorkshire Peak challenge, cycling the distance from London to Brighton over five days, an ultimate triathlon and a long-distance ride, involving overnight camping with her hunter Bart, dubbed “the Bart Challenge”.
We continue to publish Horse & Hound magazine weekly during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as keeping horseandhound.co.uk up to date with all the breaking news, features and more. Click here for info about magazine subscriptions (six issues for £6) and access to our premium H&H Plus content online.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
