Tag Archives: rehabilitation centre

Laura Collett, Pau 5* France.

Laura Collett beats off top-class field to win the only CCI5* of 2020.

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If anyone understands the sweet taste of triumph against adversity, then it’s Laura Collett. The 16-year journey to winning her first 5* Three Day Event at Pau 5* France last weekend, has involved more challenges than your average rider, including an accident that left her in a coma for six weeks and permanent loss of sight in one eye.

Les 5 Etoiles de Pau was the only CCI5*-L of the entire season so inevitably attracted a world-class field. This included the top six highest-ranked riders in the world. Riding her Boekelo 2019 winner London 52, Laura who is ranked 49th, led the entire competition, beating Piggy French (Brookfield Inocent) into second and Tim Price (Wesko) into third.


Speaking after her victory Laura said: “The dream became a reality and I still can’t believe this is all really happening. This morning I was saying to myself that if I had the choice, I wouldn’t have wanted to ride any other horse than London 52 in this kind of competition! He is a fantastic jumper. It was his first time competing at this level and I really wasn’t expecting this kind of result at the end of the competition. All of last year it was a case of ‘very nearly’. We were unlucky and they were split-second moments that caused our undoing but that’s all it takes in our sport.”


Laura Collett, winner or Pau 5* France
An emotional moment captured by Hannah Cole Photography.

It was one of those moments in 2013 when competing in the cross-country, her horse misread a corner fence at Tweseldown and suffered a rotational fall, landing directly on top of the petite 5ft 3 rider who was instantly knocked out. In the ambulance, the paramedics had to resuscitate her five times and on arrival at the hospital, the extent of her injuries was substantial, including fractured shoulder, broken ribs, a punctured lung, a lacerated liver, and injuries to her kidneys. She was placed in an induced coma for six days and it later transpired that a fragment of her shoulder bone had gravitated to her right eye through her bloodstream. It damaged the optic nerve, and she lost sight in that eye completely.

It took many months to adapt her eyesight even for day to day life and she recounts walking into things a lot. “When I started jumping, it seemed like the jumps would move.” She now wears goggles to protect her eyes from the elements when she is going cross-country.

Fortunately, Laura cannot remember the accident, so she had no confidence issues returning to eventing. “By the time I woke up, it was under control and I was lucky not to have any brain injuries. All I wanted to do was get back to competing.” It might not surprise you that just over six weeks later, she was back riding, which she admits may have been too soon. Although like our Horse Scout CEO Lucienne Elms, Laura spent several months living at the Injured Jockey Fund Rehabilitation Centre, Oaksey House. “They were amazing and there is no way I would have made such a comeback and so quickly, without their help.”


Beyond guts, grit and adversity, eventing is about a partnership, trust and understanding between human and horse. Laura Collett has that ability to make her horses achieve their full potential and she describes her Pau winner London 52 as an insecure horse who has put a lot of trust in her, which ultimately helps. He has only ever known Laura as a rider from an early age in his sporting career. Training from the beginning of a horse’s journey is what builds the partnership, she explains. Laura who rides at least 13 horses a day has trained most of her champions from scratch, having never had the means to buy ‘ready-made’ champions.


Laura Collett abooard London 52
The culmination of years of hard work. Image rights – Hannah Cole Photography.

Laura was smitten from the first time she sat on a pony at the age of two and started out in showing but always her dream was to be a professional event rider. From early childhood, she learned that in order to survive, ponies would have to be bought, produced and sold.

At the age of 12, she found a young pony called Noble Springbok from a one-lined advert and purchased him for the moderate sum of £5500. Her mother allowed her to keep this one, knowing he could be the one to achieve her dreams. Training the pony from scratch, in their first year of competitive eventing, they won everything and attracted the eyes of Youth team selectors. Laura Collett was placed on World Class Programme which meant she received lottery funding. A privilege that requires consistent exceptional results and one that she is still part of, 15 years later.

In 2005 the formidable partnership were selected for the British Pony Event Team at the European Championships, where she won team gold and individual bronze. ‘Spring’ was to launch her career, on both notoriety and monetary grounds. She signed away the right to admit how much he was sold for but a ‘life-changing’ amount passed hands. At just 16 years of age, she bought a new lorry to transport her horses, developed her facilities at home and purchased Rayef. This was another young horse who she trained on to win team and individual golds at both the Junior and Young Rider European Championships and finished 8th at her very first Badminton aged just 22.


There is little time for hobbies and even when the eventing season is over, Laura spends the winters producing young horses and doing plenty of showjumping. She also loves horse-racing and her event yard is partially funded by having racehorses in for some jump training. She was partially responsible for a first and second place at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Simply the Betts and St Calvados, two National Hunt horses trained by Harry Whittington were sent to her to jump, leading up the Festival where they finished first and second respectively.

Despite eventing often attracting an elitist image, Laura Collett is proof that hard work and talent are the real key to success. She has never felt particularly challenged by not having a big money pot and thinks it makes her success all the more rewarding. “I’ve never known it any different. We would always buy unbroken ones, train them and sell them to be able to afford to do it and I still have to do that now. With all the other challenges it feels extra special because you know exactly what has gone into that win.”


Featured Image rights – Solène Bailly photos.

VIPs turn out for reopening of Jockey rehabilitation centre

FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailVIPs turn out for reopening of Jockey rehabilitation centre

ijf royal visit02

It was a right royal affair at the reopening Oaksey House in Lambourne. On a brisk February Tuesday, not only did HRH The Princess Royal, a Patron of the Injured Jockeys Fund attend but she accompanied by racing royalty including world-renowned sports journalist, Brough Scott MBE, 10 times Champion jockey, Sir Anthony McCoy OBE and ex jockey and now well-known racing journalist John Francome MBE and Jack Berry, the man whose vision became The Injured Jockey Fund (IJF).

This intimate occasion was to celebrate the extensive improvement of Oaksey House, the IJF’s Fitness and Rehabilitation Centre in Lambourn, Berkshire.

The Injured Jockey’s Fund was founded in 1964 following the horrific falls suffered by Tim Brookshaw and Paddy Farrell in the Grand National.  Both resulted in severe paralysis, thus ending their careers.  It was Jack Berry who was there in 1964, shaking a bucket to collect donations in order to help these jockeys. Since then the Fund has helped over 1000 jockeys and their families, paying out more than £18m in charitable assistance.

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The IJF helps any rider who holds, or has held, a Professional or Amateur licence issued by the British Horseracing Authority including Apprentice, Conditional and Point-to-Point riders, including any spouse, partner, child or dependant they may have. Their policy is that they help these people for life. Furthermore, the money and assistance becomes available almost immediately, unlike many other charitable foundations who are forced to

Oaksey House, which first opened in 2009, now offers state of the art Hydrotherapy equipment- the ‘AP McCoy Hydrotherapy Pool’. The pool is beneficial in treating a multitude of injuries with its underwater treadmill, massage hoses and performance monitoring systems.  It can also accommodate spinally injured patients.

IMG_0594There has also been a significant internal refurbishment including a new more extensive gym, which is open to all jockeys, not just those in need of rehabilitation. They also offer support and education services to jockeys such as nutrition and manual therapy to improve performance as well as careers advice in collaboration with JETS, The Jockeys Employment and training Scheme.

Those visiting can expect help from the very best practitioners, therapists as well as good banter from the jockeys. The team aim to keep it a positive atmosphere, more like a health club than a hospital and you certainly get that feeling when you walk through the doors.

The IJF has two Fitness and Rehabilitation Centres, Oaksey House in Lambourn and Jack Berry House in Malton which opened in 2015. Peter O’Sullevan House, to be built within the grounds of the British Racing School in Newmarket, will open in 2019.

HRH The Princess Royal was impressed by the new facilities and said:

“Having just come back from the Winter Olympics in South Korea and seeing the injuries some other sportspeople such as snowboarders suffer, your brains could be picked and the skills you have could be of such benefit to a range of other sports.

“It seems extraordinary that Oaksey House opened only nine years ago.  The knowledge achieved in that time has been phenomenal.”

Sir Anthony McCoy, President of the Injured Jockeys Fund had received rehab and support from the IJF, during his career:
“I am delighted to be here today and that the Injured Jockeys Fund is able to now provide these amazing facilities for jockeys both injured and riding. If I’d had this 20 years ago, I’d probably still be going now!”

Lisa Hancock, CEO of the Injured Jockeys Fund commented:
“We are very committed to ensuring we provide state-of-the-art facilities in our centres and a Hydropool is essential to modern rehabilitation.  Oaksey House can now provide all jockeys, riding and retired, and the local community with a facility that can support every type of injury.  This is very much part of our charitable vision and we will complete the loop with the build of Peter O’Sullevan House in Newmarket, set to open in autumn 2019, and for which we are now commencing the fundraising campaign.”

 

The IJF is entirely dependent on donations and money raised through events. For more information on how you can get involved visit:

www.ijf.org.uk

To learn about support and education available to jockeys before, during and after their careers visit:

www.jets-uk.org

Written by Ellie Kelly