“I’m pretty sure the only reason I wasn’t killed was because I was wearing my helmet,” said Megan Richman (not pictured). “I’m lucky that I was wearing it because the train pretty much cracked it into eight different pieces.”

There are some decisions you look back on and wonder what would have happened had you chosen a different option. For 26-year-old Megan, she’s gone through all the “what ifs” and “should haves” repeatedly the past two months. But things remain the same — she’s still alive.

On the evening of 10 June, Megan had just finished her small animal emergency rotation at the University of California at Davis’s School of Veterinary Medicine when she decided to go for a ride on her 19-year-old Arabian, Red. She also took her young Irish Setter, Sunny, with her, as always, to help get some energy out of her.

“I was debating on whether I should ride or not because I had clinics the next morning, but I pretty much decided I would go for a short ride,” said Megan. “So, I tacked up and hit the trail.”

Shortly before that day, her father, himself a small animal vet based in Highland Heights, Ohio, had given Megan a lecture about wearing her helmet.

“My dad had just lectured me a month before about how much my brain was worth and how much they’re paying for education and how I needed to wear my helmet, even if I was going for a short ride,” she recalled. “He reminded me how expensive everything is, and I was like, ‘Okay, that’s kind-of true.’”

She made the decision to put on her Troxel helmet before she got onto Red to begin their ride.

There are a few different trails (hacking routes) that leave from the livery yard Megan keeps her horse at in Davis, California, so she chose the one that headed towards a sunflower field… and a set of railway tracks. It was 7pm on a Sunday, so Megan figured the trains had finished running for the day. She had ridden this route before, and knew how you had to climb up the trail to get onto a road near the tracks. She also knew the trains were used to horses and riders alongside, so she felt comfortable with this route.

She made the decision to ride along the railway tracks for a prettier view.

All was normal until Sunny, the young dog, took off after something Megan hadn’t seen. Sunny started running up the road and onto the tracks. Knowing that her horse had osteoarthritis, she knew he couldn’t handle the rough terrain of the road at a pace faster than a trot, so she decided to tie him to a gate at the top of the road and took off on foot for Sunny.

The road starts off straight in one direction, then turns perpendicular towards the pair of railway tracks. On one set, coming in her direction, was a passenger train. In the distance, she could hear another train coming from the opposite direction. As she struggled to catch up with Sunny, she started waving down the driver of the passenger train. Sunny continued onto a short bridge, and Megan continued after her, determined not to let her dog get hit.

“My dog was not listening. I’m not sure if she was chasing something or what was going on, but she just kept running,” said Megan. The passenger train driver continued to blow his horn at Megan, though she’s not sure if he ever saw Sunny.

Sprinting as far to the side of the bridge from the track as possible, Megan had almost grabbed the lead rope she had clipped to Sunny’s collar when the train clipped her.

“I didn’t grab my dog in time,” she said. “I was two steps away from her…”

When the train hit Megan’s left arm, she fell face forward, into the gravel that supported the train tracks. “My left eye was literally right next to the railroad tracks as the train was passing,” she recalled. “It was pretty horrifying. I thought I was going to die.”

Still alert, Megan rolled to her right side to get away from the track. “I didn’t hear the train hit my dog. I didn’t hear anything.”

Luckily, Sunny had jumped off to the right before the train made impact, at about the same moment the train hit Megan.

“I’m pretty sure people on the train saw me get hit because it was still daylight,” she said. “I tried to stand up, but temporarily blacked out and fell back down.”

Megan’s cracked helmet

Once Megan came to, she saw that her left arm and leg were soaked in blood. Her left olecranon (the tip of the elbow) was poking out from her skin, but she couldn’t tell what else was broken, except that her legs were fine.

Through all of this, her horse stayed where he was tied and waited for her to slowly limp back to him. Megan tried to get back on Red to ride for help — she hadn’t taken her mobile phone because she wanted to “avoid the world” during her ride. Attempting to pull herself up with her left arm on the horn of her Western saddle, Megan gasped in extreme pain and fell back down. She sat under Red and screamed for help for 15 minutes until a fisherman heard her pleas and called 911.

Upon examination at the trauma centre in Sacramento, Megan was found to have fractured her left wrist, have five separate fractures in her radius and ulna, a compound fracture of her olecranon, part of her triceps muscle torn off and a scapulae fracture, all on the left side of her body. She had a few lacerations to her left abdomen and hip area and the left side of her face was black and blue from hitting the gravel.

But the main thing that wasn’t severely injured from the accident? Her skull.

“I’m pretty sure the only reason I wasn’t killed was because I was wearing my helmet,” said Megan. “I’m lucky that I was wearing it because the train cracked it into eight different pieces. They didn’t find anything abnormal on my head CT scan.”

Continues below…

Because Megan chose to wear her helmet, she continues to choose her path in life.

Now, just two months after the accident, Megan is already back to finish her last year of vet school. Her left arm is in a sling and she’s balancing physical therapy with university work and clinical rotations. She’s permanently banished Sunny from the yard, and while she still can’t ride for another month, she’s already ordered a new helmet.

“I’m incredibly lucky, I don’t know how it turned out this way that everything is okay, but I’m still alive. I’m here.”

Hundreds of tack shops in 25 countries are offering special two-day only discounts on helmets on 18-19 August for Riders4Helmets’ International Helmet Awareness Day. Visit this link to locate a participating retailer near you.

This article has been shared exclusively with Riders4Helmets by the American Quarter Horse Journal.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Showjumper Dani G. Waldman (nee Goldstein) has never been afraid to express her personality with her now famous cascade of feathers woven through her hair and her much followed #flyingfeathers Instagram posts.

But at the Longines Global Champions Tour final in New York at the end of September, when the 34-year-old Israeli rider trotted in to the ring on her great mare Lizziemary, it was her show jacket — rather than the electric blue feathers — that really caught our eye.

In a world of muted colours and traditional trims, a black lace coat was certainly something out of the ordinary.

“I wanted to design something ultra-feminine with a nod to fashion, while also being functional and sporty,” Dani told H&H.

“I chose a stretch lace that was breathable, lightweight, wouldn’t wrinkle and was easily washable.”

The native New Yorker is now resident in the Netherlands with husband Alan, whom she married earlier this summer, and she had the jacket produced for her in the city.

“The show world could always use a little personality in my mind!” she says. “I don’t have any specific events where I plan to wear it — just when the mood strikes, and the weather!”

Continued below…

‘It’s like wearing a down comforter on my head’ — Israeli rider and her flying hair feathers claim big win

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This has been a super season for Dani, who represented her country at the European Championships in August, where she patriotically sported a full head of blue and white feathers in the colours of Israel’s flag. She has also qualified as one of the 18 finalists for the 2019 Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix in Prague next month.

Could she have created the latest trend in show jackets? Whether the design catches on or not, we can always rely on Dani to get us all thinking outside of the box.

What do you think of Dani’s bespoke jacket? Let us know about your views by writing to hhletters@ti-media.com for a chance to see your opinion in H&H magazine and you could win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger (please include your name and address; letters may be edited).

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Tiger Roll, the little horse with a big heart, raced into the history books today when becoming the first horse since the 1970s to claim back-to-back wins in the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree (6 April).

The Gordon Elliott-trained National Hunt hero returned to the hallowed Aintree turf, carrying 11st 5lb, and justified his 4/1 favouritism to beat 66/1 shot Magic Of Light by 2¾ lengths, under Davy Russell.

The nine-year-old son of Authorized, who was bred to be a Flat horse, emulated the great Red Rum, becoming the first horse since Ginger McCain’s stable star in 1973/74 to win the world’s greatest steeplechase twice.

It was a third National win for Gordon Elliott, who also trained Silver Birch to win the 2007 renewal of the £1m race.

“Everyone loves him, he is the people’s horse and I cannot believe it,” said Gordon. “We work very hard for this the whole time and I’ve got a brilliant team behind me. Davy’s mother died last year — this was for her. My uncle Willie Elliott died this year, so this was for him too.”

Asked to sum up his brilliant horse — who now has four Cheltenham Festival wins and two Randox Health Grand National victories to his name — Gordon simply replied “Tiger”.

The superstar gelding is owned by Gigginstown House Stud, the racing operation of Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary.

“It’s just unbelievable,” he said. “I thought that he genuinely had no chance today carrying that weight, but it was a beautiful ride by Davy and a phenomenal training performance by Gordon. It’s brilliant he keeps bringing this horse back to Cheltenham and Aintree better than ever.”

The winning jockey added: “What can I say? Tiger Roll is just an unbelievable horse. I was running away for most of the race. It was marvellous — he gave a couple of stumbles, but I think the blinkers lit him up.”

The Robert Walford-trained Walk In The Mill was the first British-trained runner home, finishing fourth under James Best.

A total of 19 combinations — from the 40 who lined up — completed the 4m2½f marathon. The Willie Mullins-trained 33/1 shot, Up For Review, was fatally injured when brought down.

Top-ten placings in the 2019 Randox Health Grand National:

1 TIGER ROLL (trainer Gordon Elliott/jockey Davy Russell)

2 MAGIC OF LIGHT (Jessica Harrington/Paddy Kennedy)

3 RATHVINDEN (Willie Mullins/Ruby Walsh)

4 WALK IN THE MILL (Robert Walford/James Best)

5 ANIBALE FLY (Tony Martin/Mark Walsh)

6 ONE FOR ARTHUR (Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox)

7 REGAL ENCORE (Anthony Honeyball/Jonathan Burke)

8 SINGLEFARMPAYMENT (Tom George/Paddy Brennan)

9 OUTLANDER (Richard Spencer/James Bowen)

10 VALSEUR LIDO (Henry de Bromhead/Rachael Blackmore)

Don’t miss our full report from the Randox Health Grand National in the 11 April issue of Horse & Hound.

Soldiers from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HMCR) have had their work cut out as the horses returned from their winter holidays.

The cavalry horses enjoy a break from their regimental duties during the winter in the fields at the Defence Animal Training Regiment in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

A video showed the happy, hairy horses plastered in mud and unrecognisable from the gleaming equines seen on duty in public.

Now they are back, meaning army farriers have 90 sets of shoes to fit and bathing has begun in earnest.

Credit: @armylondon Sgt P.J.George MA ABIPP

“The iconic horses of the Household Cavalry have just returned to London from their well-deserved holiday in the fields of Melton Mowbray. For two months they have rolled in mud and eaten like champions,” said an Army spokesman.

“As a result, the beautiful equines are filthy and rather unfit for their duties on behalf of The Queen and her country.

Credit: @armylondon Sgt P.J.George MA ABIPP

Article continues below…

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“Now the troops of the HCMR face the gargantuan task of getting their steeds into perfect order for ceremonial season.

“The chargers arrived home at Hyde Park barracks well rested, but with matted coats and no shoes.”

They have two weeks before they are expected to be mounting the Queen’s Life Guard at Horse Guards Parade.

“Shortly after that the dual-roled soldiers and their horses will be inspected by Major General Ben Bathurst,” added the spokesman.

“There is little time to achieve the high standards demanded, but that is no excuse. The troops have a task and they will use their skills, experience and determination to make sure they achieve their goals.

“It’s a race against time and the world is watching.”

Credit: @armylondon Sgt P.J.George MA ABIPP

The Major General’s Inspection is an annual test of the regiment’s ability to conduct state ceremonial duties for the year.

“The HMCR troops will be busy round the clock to get their steeds clean,” the video commentary explained.

“The race to perfection has begun — troops and horses need to sparkle.”

The Household Cavalry has operational as well as ceremonial duties, with serving members alternating their time between the armoured and mounted regiments.

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Irish Olympic event rider Eric Smiley’s new book Two Brains One Aim, written with freelance journalist Ellie Hughes, is launched today (4 February) at the International Eventing Forum.

In this extract, he discusses how to avoid ending up with the wrong horse — and what to do if it happens.

There are many reasons why we end up with the horses we do. “He was cheap!” or “I bred him,” are among the common ones. It is our decision to own a horse: we do not have to; we could be doing something else. But the fact we choose riding as a hobby gives us the right to choose the partner we share it with. This quickly becomes a very emotive subject and one that I am often advised not to comment on, but I feel it is important to address, not least for the welfare of the horse.

As a coach, I do not always have the choice of whom I teach. People I do not know book lessons, sign up for clinics, and join my classes. The uncertainty of who turns up is part of the fun and challenge of coaching. It stimulates my skills to try and give riders fun and education in the time available, hoping that they go home feeling good about what has happened.

However, there are times that this is simply not possible because of the makeup of the combination. Turning people away is not always an option, so I have battled through lessons trying to keep people safe and make progress, while, at the same time, trying to give my full attention to others in the group. Throughout, I am wondering what I say to the rider at the end. What words of encouragement or comfort can I give and, at the same time, be honest? Do I need to get involved? Will it make any difference? It is a tricky dilemma.

My concern is, first, for the safety of the rider, and then for the welfare of the horse.

In these situations I ask myself whether it is the partnership that does not work, or the horse or the rider? Where does the blame lie? Sometimes it is neither side’s fault.

Sometimes the rider is not up to the task and may never be, but there are also cases where the horse is neither trainable nor safe. These horses need professional help and have no place in the hands of an amateur rider.

All too often, I have riders return to my clinics with a horse that is unsuitable, thinking that I can help them, seeking my opinion or confirmation that “he’s getting better.” In the interim 12 months, the horse has cost them 10 times what they paid for it and they have had a miserable time. I ask myself, what is the point?

I can remember at one of my clinics watching a horse reluctantly jump onto a bank. And there he stood, and stood, and stood. An hour and a half later he was still there. I advised his rider that he might not be a suitable cross-country horse.

On two occasions I have advised that the horse in question should never be ridden again—once for a horse that went over backward twice with his rider (who was not to blame), and once for a horse that bolted dangerously (also through no fault of his rider). Neither horse had apparent reason to do what he did. Sometimes, horses are just not suitable to become nice riding horses.

Ex-racehorses can be a good example. I love thoroughbreds and always have. Their extra bit of “something” appeals to me, especially for eventing. However, it is important to remember that these animals have been taught in a different way. Their life from an early, impressionable age has been to run. The aids they have learned and the life they have led is not always conducive — or easy — to change. Some ex-racehorses are retrainable and there are many stories of horses that have succeeded in other disciplines, but — and it is a very big but — this has been achieved through skilled training and careful, knowledgeable handling. This is often a professional’s task. Even the quiet, easy Thoroughbred off the track will still have all the training issues associated with a young horse, with the added complication of having to retrain the conditioned reflexes that he brings with it.

People often need help and advice to find the right equine partner, preferably from someone who knows the individuals and what they need in a horse.  Be prepared for some blunt advice and use it constructively. It is pertinent to remember that the horse has little choice in his partner. He can’t say no to you.

Sometimes it is painful for me to watch and not be able to do anything except applaud a horse’s good nature and generosity. There are welfare issues that concern me and, at times, people need these pointed out to them so they can take responsibility and address them. Remember, the horse has no say.

How to avoid an inappropriate partner

These are the questions for riders to ask themselves:

➤ How good a rider are you? It is important to be critically analytical. This is difficult to do, but necessary.

➤ How much time and what facilities do you have?

➤ What do you want the horse for?

➤ If he is cheap, why? Beware!

➤ What breed of horse will suit your needs?

➤ Is size important?

➤ Age versus suitability: which is more important?

➤ Body versus mind: be aware of the beautiful-looking but unforgiving horse.

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What to do with an inappropriate partner:

➤ Get a quick divorce — do not prolong the agony. Keeping an unsuitable horse will only cost money and cause heartache. Remember, riding is supposed to be pleasurable and there are other horses out there.

➤ The best way to get out is to consult people in the trade. Coaches and local dealers are good starting points.

➤ When the horse is dangerous do not discount euthanasia. It may be a kindness in the long term. If a horse is not to be ridden again, I believe we have a “responsibility of care” for that animal, as we do for other animals, like cats and dogs. I do not think that it is ethical to abdicate our responsibility by not making the right decision. I have heard of horses being let loose in the wild to fend for themselves, and horses being left in one of the less discerning homes for retired horses, waiting to die. We have a moral obligation to do the right thing by the animals that we are responsible for.

Price: Two Brains One Aim can be purchased for £19.95 from Quiller Publishing. It is also available to buy via Amazon.
Published by: Quiller Publishing, 2019

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Later today (27 October), the cross-country phase gets underway at Les étoiles de Pau CCI***. Designed by Pierre Michelet, this year’s course features 45 jumping efforts over a distance of 6,320m, making the optimum time 11min 6sec.

Ros Canter, who currently sits in second aboard Zenshera said: “It’s a proper four-star test, with questions from start to finish. The first water comes up very quickly, particularly as you approach the first element around a blind bend — horses then need to look ahead in order to take on the step out to angled brush. Horses and riders need to be on it the whole way round.”

New Zealand rider Tim Price said: “I think the track is less intense than it was here last year, but the questions still come thick and fast, with the first two waters coming up early on the course and this section is also particularly twisty. You need a nice rhythm here to make the time.”

Phillip Dutton, agreed saying: “You need your horse to be thinking forward and listening for this course.”

Ireland’s Joseph Murphy explained: “The more I walk it, the stronger it seems. The first water will be influential and the twists and turns cause trouble here. The horse really needs to be taking you and as riders we will have to work with the feeling they give us. The fact that this course is mostly flat, I think is tougher on the horses — there is nowhere to let them have a breather running downhill. I think the time will be difficult to get and I hope it rides better than it walks.”

First-time Pau competitor Will Furlong pointed out that there are “lots of angles and corners horses could run past.”

“There’s not one particular fence that I think will catch people out — it’s very cleverly built with questions spread throughout the course. The organisers have done a fantastic job on the ground, watering and aerovating it. I think the first water will prove influential given how early it comes up.”

Let’s take a look around what riders will be facing from 1.30pm this afternoon (12.30pm BST)…

Fence 1

Fence 2

Fence 3

Fence 4

Fence 5AB

Fence 6

Fence 7AB and 8

Fence 9

Fence 10

Fence 11

Fence 12

Fence 13

Fence 14

Fence 15

Fence 16AB

Fence 17

Fence 18

Fence 19

Fence 20

Fence 21

Fence 22

Fence 23

Fence 24AB and 25

Fence 26

Fence 27

Fence 28

Fence 29

Fence 30

Fence 31AB

Fence 32

Fence 33

Fence 34AB and 35

Fence 36

Fence 37AB

Fence 38

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news and reports from Pau via horseandhound.co.uk, and don’t miss the full report in next week’s magazine (1 November)

Life On The Edge: Tristan Voorspuy’s Fatal Love Of Africa is a newly-released book, written by his great friend, Adrian Dangar.

Once described by the actress, Joanna Lumley, as “the man with no fear”, Tristan Voorspuy (pictured throughout) spent his whole life living up to the legend.

Tristan was a consummate horseman who evented, raced, played polo and hunted all his life and established a successful riding safari operation in Africa. He also saved east Africa’s last surviving pack of hounds from folding and was responsible for introducing many young people to riding and hosted numerous Pony Club camps at his home at Deloraine in Kenya.

He completed early stints in Northern Ireland and Germany with the Blues and Royals regiment, but his true love lay in Africa, where his life was cut tragically short in 2017 on his beloved Sosian Ranch.

From his epic motorbike ride from Cairo to Cape Town, to extraordinary wildlife encounters and many death-defying light aircraft near misses, Life On The Edge documents how Tristan was determined to live life to the full. It is also the story of compassion, conservation and, ultimately, tragedy.

Tristan at the rear on safari in the Okavango Delta, Botswana in June 2016

In the last two decades of his life, Voorspuy transformed the overgrazed and drought-blighted Sosian Ranch in Northern Kenya into a celebrated game reserve, acclaimed tourist destination and successful cattle ranch.

True to form, it was while defending this property that an unarmed Tristan, on horseback, was gunned down and killed, a murder that sent shockwaves around the world.

Adrian Dangar first met Tristan Voorspuy in Devon 30 years ago, and with his help later established Wild and Exotic, a travel company specialising in riding safaris and tailor-made journeys around the world. He published his first book, True To The Line, in 2017.

In this book extract, Adrian documents the time Tristan realised he needed an extra pair of hands to assist with guiding on his safari:

“With a young family, a full life at Deloraine, and back-to-back safaris during the busy dry-season months, Tristan realised during the course of 1994 that he was going to need the help of another guide to keep pace with the bludgeoning demands on his time, but no one sprang immediately to mind. He appreciated the help of gap-year students, but most only stayed for a few months before returning to the UK, just when they had learnt enough to be of real help. These young men and women were referred to as gappies, and over the years several were to arrive at Deloraine after their parents had been clients on an Offbeat safari. A few ended up staying much longer and became an integral part of the operation, but genuine gappies lacked the skill or gravitas to be given positions of real responsibility.

“A fully fledged riding safari guide requires a rare combination of skills that include detailed knowledge of the bush and wildlife, the ability to ride well, and the aptitude to communicate with guests and camp staff alike. Any guide working for Tristan would also need boundless energy, the hide of a rhinoceros, and the stamina to stay up around the campfire until the last client had turned in for the night.

“These thoughts were far from Tristan’s mind when he walked into the bar of the Manyatta Polo Club at Gilgil after chukkas one Sunday afternoon and bumped into twenty-seven-year-old Mark Laurence enjoying a cold beer. The two men struck up a conversation, during which Tristan learnt that Mark was a second-generation Kenyan who had enjoyed a successful career as a jockey that began as a sixteen-year-old apprentice. After being crowned champion jockey in Kenya, Mark had moved to England to ride for the leading National Hunt trainer Josh Gifford, before returning to Kenya and finding work as an overland safari guide for an Italian tour operator.

“Tristan grew increasingly interested as he listened to the former jockey’s potted life history, his fascination for the bush and the revelation that he spoke fluent Swahili. Several whiskies later, he looked Mark up and down one more time and told him, ‘F**k guiding in Land Rovers. You can ride, come and guide for me.’ A week later, Mark joined the Offbeat team and stayed for the next 12 years, during which he became known as ‘Sparky’, after turning up at a fancy-dress party kitted out as a lightbulb.

“Remembering his own baptism of fire, when starting to work for Tony Church, Tristan asked Mark to be his assistant on a couple of rides, before sending him off on his own. Guests were already seated for dinner during Mark’s first safari with Tristan, when a night watchman came into the Olare Lamun campsite to warn that lion were bothering the horses. Game viewing opportunities with Tristan always took precedence over everything else, so dinner was temporarily abandoned as guests jumped in to the Land Rover for the short journey to where the horses were tethered on a long rope. Tristan employed askari watchmen to protect his horses at night, but the sentries had abandoned their posts and were huddled in the back of the nearby lorry, jabbering excitedly and banging tins together to keep the predators at bay.

“Mark picked up several lion lurking with menacing intent in the beam of his spotlight, and as they retreated into the darkness, Tristan stepped out of the Land Rover wearing the colonial East African evening attire of a colourful cotton kikoy, laundered shirt and blue flip flops. Mark shone the light on the retreating lion as Tristan ran through the long grass towards them, cradling a glass of whisky and repeating at the top of his voice, ‘Leave my bloody horses alone,’ not relenting until he was convinced they had gone off to find easier prey.”

Price: Life on the Edge can be purchased for £20 from Quiller Publishing, with signed copies available direct from the author. It is also available to buy via Amazon.
Published by: Quiller Publishing, 2018

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine out every Thursday

Taking My Time is a new book written by former jockey George Baker, and tells the story of his successes in the saddle and adapting to a life out of it following his horror fall while racing on the snow in St Moritz in 2017.

George’s biggest win came when he rode Harbour Law to victory in the Doncaster Classic, the St Leger. Despite his battles with the scales — being unusually tall for a Flat jockey — George’s career as a jockey was going from strength to strength, but when the terrible accident left him with serious head injuries, he was forced to restart his life again. He was the same person, but different.

New obstacles had to be overcome, with the trauma not only physical but also psychological. In this book, the story is told with George’s wit and wisdom for which he is admired, with recollections from his wife Nicola, and those closest to him, about the impact his accident had on them all.

In this extract from the book, George recounts the moment when his life changed forever:

“If someone offers you the chance of a weekend in St Moritz, you jump at it. The Swiss ski resort welcomes the international jet set during the winter, and for us jockeys there is the White Turf, a short series of race meetings on Sundays, held on the frozen lake at the end of the town. The racing is of only a moderate standard, although the prize money isn’t bad, but the main attraction for me was the thought of a good night out afterwards. A few other jockeys had told me that the hospitality and the parties were worth experiencing.

“Adam Kirdby was supposed to be going to St Moritz to ride for the trainer Jamie Osborne and the Melbourne 10 syndicate, who were sending a few horses across. However, his main trainer Clive Cox had a runner at Wolverhampton on the Saturday night which he would be required for, meaning there would not be enough time for him to get there. Jamie rang me while I was having a game of golf with David Probert to ask if I would stand in for Adam. David had heard it was brilliant fun too, so why not give it a try?

“The only person who’d been a bit dubious about the adventure was Joe Fanning, one of the most sensible, father-figure members of the weighing room. ‘You’re mad,’ he said, implying that the racing was something of an acquired taste and not perhaps the safest thing to do.

“Saturday’s racing didn’t go brilliantly. I rode another of Jamie’s horses, Battalion, in the Winter Derby at Lingfield, but he sat down in the stalls, missed the break and didn’t have the best of runs to finish sixth, before I rounded off the day just getting beaten in a handicap on Etaad. From there it was straight to Heathrow on a flight to Zurich and a two-and-a-half-hour taxi journey through the mountains.”

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The lights were on, but there was no one at home

“It was only waking up the next morning that I appreciated the beauty of the place. The very swanky hotel I had been put up in had a view all the way to the track, and the stunning scenery of the snow-covered Alps beyond.

“From what I could tell from the Swiss racecards, it looked as if all of my four rides had a chance, and when I went down to have a walk on the track, it looked great. John Best, who also had runners there that day and had had a winner when they had staged an extra meeting the previous Friday, had been encouraged about how well it had been riding, too. Although you see snow on the surface of the track, you are, of course, racing on ice underneath and around quite tight bends, which is very different to grass or all-weather tracks. Along with conventional racing, there are some races for locals called ‘skijoring’, which is where skiers are pulled along by horses. Apparently they can take a fair bit of punishment from bits of ice being kicked back in front of them.

“I had ridden my first mount of the afternoon, Boomerang Bob, once before a month or so earlier in a little handicap at Lingfield. Although not exactly a superstar, he was a solid sort of horse, and seemed fine on the track when we cantered down to the six-furlong start. I noticed that Dougie Costello’s horse, who was going along in front of me, was stumbling all over the place, and made a mental note not to follow the horse in the race itself, as it looked like it couldn’t pick its feet up.

“My biggest concern down at the start was visibility. A lot of jockeys wear ski masks to prevent snow getting in their eyes, but I had brought a more simple face mask to wear with my usual goggles. I fiddled with it to make sure it was on properly and wouldn’t make everything steam up.

“Jamie hadn’t tied me down with instructions, so I took my time towards the rear of the field, and I can remember making progress down the back straight, which is where the lights go out.

“What I know from this point on is from other people. Two other horses in the race had come down in front of me, and at the time they thought I had gone over one of the horses on the floor and been brought down. It later turned out that poor Boomerang Bob had gone through the ice independently at a point where there was a weakness in the track. He broke a leg and had to be put down.

“It would not have been a pleasant sight for John Best, who had been the first on the scene and raced over to help. Apparently when he got to me I was conscious but wasn’t talking. John thought the best thing was to keep speaking to me, so at least it would be a voice I might recognise, one speaking English rather than French or German. I was staring at him and briefly tried to move, but I wasn’t responding to what he or the medics were saying. The lights were on, but there was no one at home. Then John had to go off to a meeting with the organisers to agree to abandon the event.

“By the time he came back, I’d been put into an induced coma and my eyes had a bit of tape across them to keep them shut. The chief paramedic told John it was standard practice for the type of injury I’d received, and tried to reassure him that they didn’t think I was going to die or anything. Nonetheless, John was very worried, as it was still very serious, and relayed what he found out to Guy [Jewell, George’ s agent], who was passing it on to [George’s wife] Nicola.

“I was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Chur, about 50 miles north of St Moritz, where they did a brain scan. News came back across to John an hour or two later that the scan was OK at that stage, and they were going to bring me out of the coma.

“From here on, I think it’s better that Nicola takes over the story. As you’ll discover, when I woke up I certainly wasn’t myself, and for the first few days she was the only person to see me.”

Price: £20 hardback, or from £12.10 on Amazon.
Published by: Racing Post Books, 2018

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine out every Thursday.

New Zealand dressage rider John Thompson has withdrawn his 17-year-old Anamour gelding JHT Antonello from the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Tryon, North Carolina.

“AJ” flew to the USA from New Zealand in July, and received treatment in Kentucky after not feeling fully fit on arrival. Despite being given the all-clear, the horse has been in discomfort since his arrival at the Games, and has been withdrawn from competition as a result.

“I am absolutely devastated,” said the 28-year-old rider. “This would have to be the lowest point of my competition career. I feel AJ is not 100% after being transported into Tryon, and in the best interest of my mate, we’ve made the decision to withdraw.

“While this is not the end I wanted for our Games, I will take a lot of learning away with me and put that to good use in the future.”

New Zealand will now have just one dressage representative, Julie Brougham and Vom Feinsten.

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Two riders have been asked to re-present their horses tomorrow after this morning’s dressage trot-up.

Australia’s Alexis Hellyer was sent to the holding box with Bluefields Floreno (pictured above), and after trotting for a second time was asked to re-present the 13-year-old chestnut stallion tomorrow morning before the grand prix gets under way. The remaining Australian team horses were all accepted.

The ride of Portugal’s Vasco Mira Godinho, the 12-year-old grey stallion Bariloche, will also be re-presented tomorrow morning. The Rouxinol son was asked to trot twice today, before being sent to the holding box.

All four British horses — Emile Faurie’s Dono Di Maggio, Carl Hester’s Hawtins Delicato, Charlotte Dujardin’s Mount St John Freestyle (pictured above) and Spencer Wilton’s Super Nova II — sailed through the trot-up and were accepted without problems.

The Japanese team horse Egistar, the ride of Kiichi Harada, was asked to trot twice but was then accepted. Russia’s Inessa Merkulova had a nervous wait as the ground jury deliberated, but her 14-year-old gelding Mister X was accepted.

The first day of grand prix competition gets under way tomorrow (12 September) at 8.45am local time (1.45pm UK time), with the draw taking place this evening.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

The owner of a dog who was in a horsebox when it was stolen from a show said getting her back was “the most amazing day of her life”.

Gabby Cox’s lorry was taken from Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show on Monday (25 August). It was later found abandoned in Essex but although the thieves had left all the tack and equipment, worth some £10,000, inside, Jack Russell Smarty was not there.

Gabby’s desperate appeal to find her “best friend in the world” was shared widely online and the next night, a 15-year-old girl found a “cold and wet” terrier on the side of the road near Lakeside, Essex.

As it was late, the teenager took the dog home, bathed and fed her, and let her sleep on her bed, taking her to a vet the next morning.

“The vet scanned her microchip and we got the call,” Gabby told H&H.

“I was hysterical. I don’t think I’d expected to hear that; I think it was the most amazing day of my life.”

Gabby said the fact the vet could trace Smarty’s owner so quickly underlines the importance of chipping, which is compulsory for dogs and will be for all horses in England from October 2020.

“I’d never really thought about it before; but everything of ours will be microchipped now!” she said.

“The girl who found her had been staying at her grandmother’s with no internet, and it was only when she got home that her parents realised, as they’d seen the posts.

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“This has been the most amazing thing in the world, it’s restored my face in humanity. People have been absolutely brilliant, all the dog lost and found groups and other people posting flyers and sharing them – I can’t thank people enough.”

Smarty looks none the worse for her adventures, Gabby said, adding that she has been given extra food and treats since her return, “exactly what she wants”.

“You accept that one day you’re going to lose them as they’re only lent to us,” she added. “But not that way. She’s been everything to me and not to know if she was suffering or anything; it’s a horrendous feeling and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

“I’m just so happy she’s home.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.