Top rider recovering after spinal surgery, and other things the horse world is talking about
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Showjumper undergoes surgery
Trevor Breen has undergone surgery on three fractures of the neck and back as he starts his road to recovery from a bad fall. The Irish showjumper and his family home-bred European Championships ride Highland President fell in the Longines grand prix of Hamburg on 11 May, after which Trevor was taken to hospital. His wife Caroline told H&H the major fracture had been repaired, his spinal cord has been saved, he has no paralysis and he will be able to walk and ride again. “It’s a long road ahead and we have a long way to go, but if everything continues to go as it’s going now, it’s an amazing prognosis,” she said.
A talented mare
The 2024 Badminton Horse Trials champion is an unusual stamp of eventer but a horse with the heart of a lion. We found out more about Chris Mann’s special 11-year-old mare from those who know her best. Rider Caroline Powell, who first met “Cav” as a just-backed four-year-old, said she is a “princess” in character who loves her job; groom Tristan Hudson added: “Cav always seems to rise to the occasion – she knows what the job is and wouldn’t let you down, that’s for sure.”
Find out more about this special horse
‘A master of his craft’
After William Fox-Pitt announced his retirement from the top level of eventing at Badminton, we spoke to some of those who know him best about his stellar career. Yogi Breisner, British eventing performance manager through much of William’s golden era, said his record speaks for itself, but that what takes it further is the fact his successes have come with so many horses. Pippa Funnell paid tribute to an “out and out horseman” who is a “master of his craft”, and to his huge mental strength; Carl Hester cited William’s “magnificent” riding and his being a role model for fair sportsmanship.
You might also be interested in:
‘A long road ahead but we’ve had so much support’: update on Trevor Breen after fall left him ‘millimetres from dying’
‘She won’t walk over a pole on the ground’: find out more about Badminton winner Greenacres Special Cavalier
‘A true horseman and a master of his craft’: riders’ tributes as William Fox-Pitt bows out of top level
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