That makes sense. The cases I am familiar with weren’t just TBI’s. And the TBI wasn’t nearly as serious as Liz. Recovery can be complicated. And as you say, every patient is different.
It is sobering to realize that Boyd could go to an event in the Spring, and have half/the majority of his top horses be ones he got because the previous rider was seriously injured or died in a riding accident.
To be clear, I don’t mean that as a dig at Boyd in any way. It just really highlights how dangerous the sport is at the higher levels.
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Absolutely, 100%! And yes, of course, Boyd is a wonderful rider and I’m sure that is what Liz would want, the horses to continue on with her legacy as a rider. But for me, it just gives me tremendous pause, watching from the ground.
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I remember being extremely shocked to hear on the Olympic coverage that there was another event rider there who ended up with his horse pretty much the exact same way. I believe that person was from France.
I would have thought that was an incredibly rare thing to happen. Not that you could end up with two people at the same Olympics who had both gotten their horses through the same circumstances.
I also wonder if it’s really that much more dangerous at the higher levels, or if it’s more that when bad things happen to well known people at the higher levels, it is more likely to get attention or publicity.
Granted, the jumps might be smaller at the lower levels, but there are probably more people who are less skilled competing at that level.
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I do think it is more dangerous at the higher levels for a few reasons, two of which are less room for forgiveness and riders at that level are just riding a lot more so more chances for something to go wrong. I don’t think running BN or N at your local rated event has the same risks as running Kentucky or Burghley by any means (although I am certainly not saying it isn’t dangerous at any level).
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At the Olympics, three horses in the top 15 were with their current riders due to a career- or life-ending fall (JL Dublin, 4th place, formerly with Nicola Wilson; Fedarman B, 10th place, formerly with Annie Goodwin; Ride for Thais Chaman Dumontceau, 14th place, formerly with Thais Meheust). All three horses were the horses involved in the accidents.
Of those three, their falls happened at a 5 star fence, a Training level fence, and a 2 star level fence. The latter two falls were fatal.
The sport is dangerous. I adore this sport, but I don’t want anyone ever to say I didn’t know what I was doing. We should all know it. Sobering, indeed.
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Wow.
That’s even more of a surprise. Yikes.
Thanks for the information.
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With the caveat that I haven’t looked at new eventing stats in a few years …
Statistically, at recognized events (where data is gathered), the eventing LL’s have a significantly lower accident rate than the UL’s. Fewer accidents, many fewer serious accidents, many many fewer life-changing outcomes. At one time, at least, there were no recorded deaths at the LL’s. Although possibly there were no accident records from earlier times.
IMO: The UL sport and the LL sport are almost two separate sports that share common roots. Increasingly distant roots. Especially Intermediate and above. Just my opinion.
People caught up in watching youtube videos of the UL’s can get an impression of the sport that is not at all what they see if they go to the local horse trails offering T and below.
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When your livelihood depends on riding and winning, too, there is also much more pressure to take the risk and ride, even if the horse isn’t “feeling it” that day, or you had a fall with an earlier mount, etcetera. Or even to ride a horse which might not be ideal but is the best you have, for a young up-and-coming pro.
But FWIW, the falls we’re discussing here at the ULs didn’t seem to happen during unusually risky circumstances or rides (even though I know the jumps themselves that caused the falls can and should be analyzed to death). Which is why it’s so sobering. When even an Olympian (and a damn fine Olympian) can have such an injury, it, well, just gives me pause and great sadness.
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I’ve evented once, but schooled many, many times (nothing over BN). I absolutely love it. I love the idea of training a horse in all three levels, I love how horsemanship is a focus (especially when you’re able to find a long format).
You will never find me jumping bigger than a novice fence. I just can’t sit with the fact that the bigger you go, the more accurate you and the horse have to be OR YOU DIE. I know the required accuracy and the thrill is the draw for some people, but man, that’s just scary to me.
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It is not the either-or situation at the UL’s that “one mistake and you die”.
The do-or-die mentality is not the thrill that attracts people to the UL’s.
Eventing over the many years has done a good deal to keep do-or-die daredevils away from the sport.
One of the mistakes a rider can make that will attract a huge amount of public criticism is pushing too hard. Bad riding. Bad decisions. Apparently over-facing the horse. Asking the horse to go beyond its natural level.
There has been many a long thread here on COTH severely criticizing riders when it is perceived by the public that that has happened.
That tends to encourage all riders to think about the decisions they are making.
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Yes. But, solid fences don’t come down. And I think that’s the point Demerara was trying to make - for them, novice is the cutoff before the risk outweighs the reward. I’m of a similar mindset - if the scope is there, I’m pretty comfortable jumping good height in SJ. Not so on XC.
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Of course riders can make decisions to minimize risk–retire if the horse is tired, don’t compete at a level the horse is not ready for, etc.
But you can do everything right, and still have a catastrophic accident because the horse misreads the fence, catches a toe, takes a bad step etc. I think that’s what gives one pause. I love eventing, but it’s hard to know how to think about a sport where a small mistake or misstep not infrequently has devastating consequences.
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TBI is very much a personal journey but Liz has some important things working for her. At the time of her accident she was very fit from riding many horses daily, as a professional horseman she is very tough mentally and emotionally as well as physically, she knows how to work really hard towards a target and she has grit and determination in spades. All these will help her in her continuing recovery, however long it takes.
Nici Wilson has her disastrous fall in May 2022 sustaining multiple spinal fractures as well as ‘Central Cord Syndrome’ that results in the loss of sensation and movement in her extremities. By late 2022, after intensive rehab over several months, she was walking often unassisted. When she won Horse&Hound ‘Equestrian of the Year’ she received a standing ovation when she walked unaided up the steps onto the stage to receive her award. By 2023 she had started a new career as a coach (she already had professional qualifications in coaching) and had started commentating at Events, beginning back at Badminton. She has opened her yard as a base for other eventers to benefit from purpose built facilities under the eye of a top rider. She is now also an inspirational speaker. Nici is an unstoppable force and her example gives everyone hope after a bad injury.
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Saffron Cresswell in England is paralyzed from the chest down after a fall in the early summer…she is only 23. I was sent one of the fundraising pages by a friend over there. They have a lot or organizations that support injured equestrians and are constantly raising money. Nicola Wilson and Piggy March come up often in the news over there because of their efforts.
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Not intended to be argumentative, but for the record …
… ganked from a popular blogger post without permission, because it was there just now …
The red circles are the new technology now widely required on courses at the UL’s. The jump comes down when struck. There are penalty points assigned for ‘knocking down’ a XC jump.
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I have mixed feelings about UL Eventing. There are very few riders that have the talent to train and ride at the level, so most that are riding the UL courses know what they are doing and know the risks.
I loved watching Jung, Nicholson (before he stopped competing due to a broken neck) Klimke,Liz, et al, ride expertly executed rounds. They were so impressive. I really enjoy seeing beautifully ridden rounds DR, X-country and S/J.
That said, while I still pay for Badminton TV, I watch the x-country rounds on replay.
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That’s not precisely why he stopped competing. His broken neck was in 2015; he returned to competition in 2016 and only retired from top-level competition in September 2021, aged 60, after 40 years competing at the top.
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I remember seeing an interview with him when he stopped competing and he said the fragility of his neck was a factor.
He had the most extraordinary balance on a horse and was really fun to watch. Apparently he was quite stroppy towards many people in the past, and he isn’t as arrogant now as he was when he was competing.
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I thought he quite at the upper levels because of politics with the NZ team. But I will admit, I THINK that is what I heard.
