Shaz Quigley making ‘small steps in the right direction’ in hospital

Shaz Quigley is making “small steps in the right direction” as she recovers from a serious head injury sustained when she was kicked by a horse.

Shaz, who runs Q Sport Horses with her husband David, was kicked at a competition at South View on 3 July. She was put in an induced coma at Royal Stoke Hospital and underwent surgery.

David thanked the equestrian community for the support he and the couple’s 17-year-old daughter Ella have received. Many riders have been wearing yellow heart pin badges as a symbol of positivity for the Quigleys, and Bolesworth grand prix winner David Simpson dedicated his victory on 11 July to Shaz. Last month the Quigley’s groom Daniella Jones challenged herself to run every day for a month in support of her “boss, inspiration and friend”, and raised £2,265.

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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.

Shaz Quigley making ‘small steps in the right direction’ in hospital

In an update today (27 September) David Quigley told H&H his wife was still “very poorly”, but there were some “small steps in the right direction”.

“She is breathing on her own now and she’s had the tracheotomy removed. She is being moved into an acute rehab ward. There’s some really good specialists so we’re looking forward to getting under way with that,” he said.

“It’s very early days to really know exactly what damage has or hasn’t been done, but the signs are encouraging. We get to see her every day, and we’re probably quite lucky to be able to see her at all after what happened.”

“Everyone has been so supportive and helpful,” said David. “The horse community is great and it really goes to show how strong it is. The whole horse community has been really brilliant. It’s quite humbling for Shaz to receive that much support and it’s been a huge comfort to Ella and I.

“It’s going to be a long road but we’re very lucky to have that route to go down.”

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Positivity for Shaz Quigley: groom raises more than £1,000 for NHS in running challenge

3 things the horse world is talking about today: Monday 27 September 2021