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Top rider stood down from competition after fall; daughter to deputise on her rides


  • Mary King has been stood down from competition for three weeks after a fall at Dauntsey Horse Trials.

    The double Badminton Horse Trials winner reported that she fell off when five-year-old King Patrick spooked cantering across a field between fences, approaching a dark wooded area.

    “Gravity took control and won!” said Mary. “All fine except I knocked my head so am not allowed to event for three weeks.”

    A three-week suspension is standard in such cases – the British Eventing rulebook states: “If the event doctor reports in the MOR [medical report form] a finding of concussion, suspected concussion, head injury or other injury likely to result in concussion, the competitor will be automatically medically suspended for 21 days.”

    Mary’s daughter Emily King will take over the ride on King Patrick at BE100 level at Aston-le-Walls next week and will also pilot another of Mary’s usual rides, the six-year-old Kings Belief, at novice.

    Emily has an exciting month ahead as she is building up to her Burghley Horse Trials debut. She will be riding Valmy Biats, owned by his breeder Philippe Brivois and a syndicate, and the pair recently had a good prep run, finishing third in a CCI4*-S section at Burgham.

    Another daughter of a former top rider was on form at Dauntsey; 2009 European champion Tina Cook’s daughter, Isabelle, won the sole intermediate section on Espoir Landais. David Doel won the open intermediate with his five-star campaigner Galileo Nieuwmoed, whose owner Gillian Jonas used to own Apache Sauce with Mary King.

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