William Fox-Pitt ‘absolutely fine’ following fall at Weston Park
William Fox-Pitt is “absolutely fine” following his first fall since returning to competition earlier this month.
The elite British event rider, who suffered a head trauma in a fall last year, fell during the cross-country at Weston Park on Saturday (9 April).
Parklane Hawk fell at a corner fence in the advanced section, but was not injured.
William told H&H it was good to have his first fall out of the way.
“I’m fine, it’s good to have it done,” he said today (11 April). “It’s nice to be fine.
“He [Parklane Hawk] clipped the top of the corner and fell over. He had gone really well until then — he felt good.
“I think it just caught us out. It was a straightforward corner and he just touched it.”
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“[Parklane Hawk] fortunately has come to no harm and seems perfectly well,” William stated on his website.
William’s wife, Alice Plunkett, tweeted at the weekend to reassure fans that the popular rider had not been injured.
“William had a fall at Weston Park,” she said. “He is absolutely fine. Relieved to get the first fall since his accident over with and be none the worse.”
William’s next event is Belton on 15 April. He is entered with three horses, Cool Mountain, Little Fire and Secret Night.
He is also entered for Badminton with the 2011 Burghley winner Parklane Hawk.
“That’s what he should do and what I’d like to do with him if I’m riding well, but we’ll see,” William said in a recent interview with H&H.
“I would love to be at Badminton for my sponsors, Jeep, and for his owner Catherine Witt, plus it’s nice for the team here to have Badminton in sights, but I feel strongly that it’s not a necessity. I’ve been to lots of Badmintons and I’m not owed anything, I do know that.
“We’ve all very much got the attitude that if he’s on good form, why not? And if he’s not, he’ll maybe aim for Burghley later on.”
Serious fall
Weston Park was William’s fourth event since returning to the saddle after his serious fall at Le Lion d’Angers last October.
The Olympic eventer suffered a head trauma when he fell at fence 20, an owl hole, on the cross-country while riding Reinstated.
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He spent three weeks in a French hospital before flying back to the UK on 9 November to continue his treatment.
The horse, who he first competed in May 2014 at Chatsworth, was not injured in the fall.
He returned to the saddle in December, as reported on horseandhound.co.uk
Don’t miss the full interview with William in this week’s H&H magazine (dated 7 April) — he discusses why he decided to return to eventing, as well as how his sight, sense and taste have been affected by the accident
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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.