Katie Jerram undergoes emergency neck surgery

Horse & Hound columnist Katie Jerram underwent emergency surgery at the London Independent Hospital in Stepney yesterday (Monday 1 June) after an accident in the horse walk at Suffolk Show last Thursday (28 May).

Katie was initially taken to Ipswich Hospital, but later discharged.

However, a scan the following day showed she had dislocated a disc in her neck, which was pressing on the spinal cord.

The show producer had a tungsten steel plate inserted between two vertebrae, which surgeons hope will fuse with the bone.

“It was the quickest way to recovery,” said her mother Jill on Monday afternoon.

“She could have been in a neck brace for eight weeks, but hopefully it could only be about six weeks before she’s back in the saddle. She’s fit and healthy, and it depends how quickly she heals.

“She should be out of hospital by the end of the week and luckily she’s got a lot of owner-riders, so although she can’t ride, she can still teach. We’re optimistic.”

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