About me

I am 21 years old and have been a Para Dressage rider for 5 years following 18 months with Kesteven Riding for the disabled at The Paddocks Riding Center near Grantham. However on December 18th, when I was 19, I was involved in a serious Road Traffic Accident and have been out of Para Since then. My aim is to be back doing Para Competitions in 2016 because I feel by then me and Mo will be used to working together with my new disability and will be able to give some competition to the other competitors.

I only started to ride seriously at the age of 11 having spent many happy hours learning to ride correctly at Caistor Riding School. I was lucky enough to have been bought my first pony “Hannah” a beautiful Palamino, now aged 27, whom I competed in local show jumping and one day events. I was keen to take up eventing, something which would have been too much for “Hannah” and so my parents very kindly bought me another pony “Maisie” who at 6 years old, though very green, was the perfect age to begin training.

In March 2009 I entered my first season in British Eventing and began with some very promising results. On the 31st May 2009 I took part in a one day event at Bishop Burton College near Beverley. Following a good dressage score and show jumping round, I was lying in 8th place going into the cross country. I covered the course in good time and was approaching the final fence, after which I have no memory.

My horse and I both fell, I landed on my head, was unconscious and immediately transferred to Hull Royal Infirmary with a serious, life threatening head and brain injury.

I remained in a coma in the Adult Intensive Care for the next three weeks after which I was transferred to the Paediatric Intensive Care for what was to become 13 weeks of very intensive recovery and rehabilitation. I was unable to walk or talk and had left sided hemiplegia and had to begin a programme of learning all the basic childhood skills once again. With the support of my parents and the brilliant nursing and physiotherapy staff, I began my long journey back to what I hoped would be a normal life.

My strength and determination was spurred on by the fact that once I had learned to walk again I wanted to get back on my horse and ride. I believe I was the only person at that time that felt that way as everyone else was hoping I would have no desire to want to ride ever again.

Despite being in a wheelchair, I made a trip to the Hospital car park where my parents had brought my horses in the lorry for a visit at the suggestion of my Consultant. It was an amazing moment and made me more determined than ever to carry on riding.

Having missed almost a year of schooling, I returned with a determination to gain the GCSE’s I needed to allow me to gain a place at Riseholme College, Lincoln to undertake a Level 3 Diploma in Horse Management. It was a real struggle particularly as I now had short term memory loss together with very reduced fine motor skills which impacted on both writing and using a computer. Despite this I was thrilled to gain 5 GCSE’s and take up my place at the College, where I am now in my final year.

In February 2010, following a visit to an Equine Physiotherapist, I was referred to a Riding Centre for the Disabled to help me to begin a structured, safe return to the saddle. I had my first lesson on a mechanical horse to assess my strength and balance and to assess my ability to get back on a real horse.

I was required to undergo a Classification to determine which grade I was to compete at. Riders are graded from I (the most severe disability) to IV (a lesser degree of severity).

I was Classified as a Grade III Rider and following an International FEI Classification remained at Grade III.

I continued with the RDA and in April 2010 qualified for the RDA National Championships at Hartpury College. I had a very successful weekend, winning both of my classes and was awarded a trophy for the highest overall score over the two day event and the best newcomer.

In March 2011 I entered the Regional Talent Development competition at the Festival of Para Dressage and earned a very respectable third Place in the 16 to 25 years category.

In June of that year I went on to defend my RDA title at Hartpury College which I was delighted to win once again. This was to be the start of my move from RDA to Para Dressage.

In August 2011, I was invited to apply for the BEF Excel Talent Programme and was accepted onto that in September 2011. I was also lucky enough to be nominated by my sport for the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme which I have now been a part of for the past two years. This allows me to attend Sheffield Hallam University Sports and Science Centre where I have a Strength and Conditioning Coach, a Physiotherapist and a Lifestyle Coach. This is an invaluable part of my ongoing training and I feel very privileged to have been nominated.

During the past two years and with the support of BEF and I have been lucky enough to train with Maria Eilberg, Simon Laurens and Angela Weiss. Their individual methods of training have proved invaluable.

I am very fortunate to train four times a week with Jess Parr, an excellent Pre-Saint George Rider and Judge. She is tough yet inspirational and I owe my recent successes to her.

My current horse, Pro-Mo, has kindly been loaned to me by a lovely lady, Jo Leonard from Hampshire. “Mo” is a talented Mare out of Pro-Set. Pro-Set has been ridden by both Carl Hester and Maria Eilberg. We have formed a great partnership with some very good results and I have high hopes for a bright future together.

I am looking forward to representing the Northern Region and England for the third time at the Home International in June, followed by the National Championships at Hickstead.

18th December 2013

My best friend and groom, Beth Tyson and myself, had just been to my yard to feed and groom my horses. We were making our way home along the A46 towards Market Rasen when we were hit head on by a vehicle travelling towards us. The impact rolled the vehicle twice and ended up on it's roof. Beth and I sustained serious injuries and were both taken to hospital. I suffered a further bleed to the brain, severe whiplash, fractures of the left hand, a broken nose, loss of use of my left arm and many cuts and bruises. After weeks of intensive Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy and in the belief that the loss of function in my arm was due to nerves having been stretched, I discovered that three main nerves C5, 6 and 7 had in fact become detached and that without surgery would have no hope of recovery. This was devastating news, particularly as following a very successfull year in 2013 being consistently one of the top three riders, I had very high hopes for 2014.

On the 23rd April 2014, having been referred to a Specialist Consultant in Peripheral Nerve Injuries at The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, I underwent six and half hours of surgery including nerve and muscle grafts and transfers, in an attempt to regain some use in my arm. Following that I had six weeks with my arm immobilised in a sling and a further week in hospital undergoing intensive Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Psychology. I am now having all my therapies locally until my appointment with the Consultant in early July.

I am hopeful that this appointment will bring some positive news and in particular that he will be able to give me some idea when I am likely to be able to return to riding my horse. This for me is by far the most important thing in my life and I am prepared to work as hard as I am allowed in my rehabilitation to achieve this.

I really hope that in the not too distant future, I am able to bring everyone some positive news and will continue to update you with my progress.