John Whitaker breaks ankle in bad fall from Peppermill
Top British show jumper John Whitaker will be sidelined for weeks after breaking his ankle in a fall at the weekend.
John was taken to hospital after falling from Peppermill at the Assen CSI*** in The Netherlands on Saturday. The pair were competing in a 1.45m two-phase, but Peppermill jumped John off over a fence in the first phase.
He has a badly broken and dislocated ankle which required an operation.
Released from hospital, John was back at the show on Sunday and making arrangements to travel home.
The three-day meeting at Aintree the previous week had marked the return to competition for Peppermill. Becky Stone’s 12-year-old stallion had a five-month break due to injury — and Assen marked his comeback to the international stage.
Despite the fall, John reported Peppermill was unscathed.
“Peppermill’s fine” he said, “He’s fit but I’m lame.”
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
John Whitaker and Becky hoped to take him to next month’s Global Champions Tour in Doha.
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
