We’ve all been there — that moment when things go wrong and you’re certain that your next port of call is going to be the ground. But sometimes (and happily) your assumption is wrong, and somehow, miraculously, you manage to stay in the saddle. Here’s just a few examples of when riders defied the laws of gravity…
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“This is my Welsh section D six-year-old, Sunny, out with the Readyfeild Bloodhounds. We got too close to a hedge and almost fell, but even with no hands (or reins) we made a recovery and stayed in the saddle!” — Tabitha Smith
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“We were doing a LeTrec day at our yard and my warmblood, Finlay, was not going on this blue tarpaulin. But I did stay on!” Tracy Skelly
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“This is me and my ex-racehorse Dalida. We entered our first riding club indoor competition in 2010. There was a cafe next to the arena which the first fence faced this. Dalida spooked and then cat leaped the fence. I lost my stirrup leather and nearly came off but managed to clamber back on. We completed the course without stirrups and with just four faults from the first fence and within the time set” — Sue Hardy
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“This is when I most certainly thought I was seconds from hitting the deck. We had been practising grids and doing some gymnastic work. Fran (my horse) took the word gymnastic quite literally and gave me a handstand which would rival one from an Olympic gymnast!” — Sophie Wratting
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“I have had this pony, Chance, since I was 11-years-old — I turn 30 this year. I will never forget how amazed I was with myself for not landing on these barrels. It still amazes me to this day! I love my old girl so much — her name is Chance and we live in New Zealand” — Sarah Thrasher
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“This is me out hunting a few years ago when my pony got a bit too enthusiastic. Although we had a lead over the jump, she stayed behind and took off the same time as them, launching me into mid-air. It wasn’t a graceful landing, with my nose touching her ears, but thankfully I recovered and trotted off into the woods to recover! It was very embarrassing!” — Rebecca Clegg
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“This is a picture of myself and my horse Ralph very nearly parting company a couple of weeks ago (everyone, including myself, was extremely surprised that I stayed on). We weren’t on a very good stride going into the jump so would either have to go on a long one or chip in a short one. I prefer to go on a long stride, so asked Ralph for this to which he responded, however he started to doubt this so reconsidered, but ended up kind of falling over the top of the jump” — Megan Borland (and Wreck It Ralph)
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“This was the first time the horse (Darcy) had ever seen a ditch and it took a long time to get over it. As you can see from the photo he decided to put his front feet into the ditch as a safe way to get across.I managed to stay on though!” — Lucy Bagnowiec
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“This was a bit of a miscommunication between me and my horse Billy on where and when we were taking off. We had a bumpy landing but we stuck together and didn’t part our ways!” — Lauren Martin
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“This is a picture of my four-year-old at his first show at Arena UK this year. We both got a bit over-confident as he was going so well, but he took a dislike to this fence! We almost parted company but managed to pull it back together and jump the rest clear” — Lauren
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“This is a picture of Coolio at one of his first showjumping shows where he attempted to jump the jump wing rather than the poles. We both recovered well and completed the rest of the course successfully!” — Laura Smith
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“This is Chukka, who is 25-years-old. He managed to keep my daughter Millie on board (just!) in her first 60cm class — lucky escape! I think I felt worse on the side line” — Joanne Watson
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“This was my youngster Duke’s first one-day event at Larkhill, and mine for the first time in years. This photo was captured by a friend of mine in the show jumping…at fence one. Amazingly I landed it and we went clear. He’s a 16.3hh big baby and somehow missed a stride resulting in this” — Grace Hoskins
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“This is Rory Campbell, my son, who was 13-years-old at the time, getting some ice on his hat with the Countryside Drag Hunt in County Galway. He stayed attached” — Gerry Campbell
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“I’ve had my fair share of near misses — I think I’m too stubborn to come of. My horse, Lyric, loves cross-country more than life itself, even if there is a scary ditch or water to clear, she won’t stop, she’ll just try to clear it all in one!” — Freya Peverell
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This is me taking Quincy cross-country schooling. We came into this small step rather slowly. Quincy was a bit nervous of it but with a bit of encouragement she gave it a go and leapt down. I flew backwards but luckily she just stopped straight after, bless her, so I managed to stay on” — Emily Diamond
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“This was taken at Eastminster Riding School back in August 2010. I was competing in one of the showjumping classes when I lost my stirrup and my balance! The horse I was riding (Bounty) knew his job though and carried on jumping, regardless of what his rider was doing. Despite my Superman impression, we cleared this jump, I landed back in the saddle and then we finished the course together. Thanks to Nicola Fry for taking the photo” — Ellen Szalai
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“This is my then six-year-old Belgian warmblood Squirrel (Iline van de Smeets) in the British Novice at Pyecombe in August 2014. We’d had a “to me, to you” moment as she locked on to the wrong fence, but eventually jumped the right one. Somehow (thanks to Squirrel’s good nature) I stayed on and we jumped the last, to earn a “well sat” from the judge” — Eleanor Jones
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“This is me riding Sam. He decided to refuse last minute, then to cat leap it from a standstill. I stayed in the saddle and carried on” — Eleanor Hinton
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“This was taken at Camperdown Horse Trials in Australia (I moved here six years ago and still get H&H!). Neville, who was an off the track race horse spotted the ditch in a trakehner last minute. We stayed on to complete clear” — Charlotte Blair
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“This is my horse Corrie (Think Again). Corrie is very unsure of water trays as you can see. It eventually ended well!” — Caitlin Kiloh
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“I defied gravity (and a dip) on my very clever 13.2hh who, on this day, was adamant he could see a shark in the water! Luckily for us, we stayed dry and didn’t get eaten by the shark!” — Briony Lusted
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“I event this horse, Casper, and this photo was taken following me bringing him back into work following an injury while eventing. Casper is 16.2hh and I am 4″11 so I wouldn’t say I ‘fit him’ very well! I asked Casper for extention and he had other ideas and bronced down the long side. I managed to stay on, miraculously!” — Annabelle Farrar
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“This was taken in June 2014 on the annual Frampton Family Riding Club (FFRC) holiday at Stockland Lovell. During a showjumping lesson with Ian Wright instructing and three other members of the club, my lovely chestnut thoroughbred mare Flamenco Dancer (‘Menco) decided to put a short stride in after I’d already taken off so I took off in front of her! As you can see we were not connected at all at this point. I thought I was going over her head, lost my reins and both stirrups but somehow didn’t fall off! I think you can safely say I “defied gravity”.” — Amanda Blewett
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