Getting to a five-star is always a huge achievement, but making it to the Defender Burghley Horse Trials this week has been a particular feat for Julia Norman because the Wiltshire-based rider had a serious fall at Nunney Horse Trials in June.
“I’d had a bad fall off a young one at home a few days before, so I was probably not 100%, but the horses all had gone really well so far that day. I was going cross-country in quite a competitive position and it was a simple fence on a very good horse that I know well,” said Julia, who added she could only describe her stride to the fence as “a concussion shot”.
Julia’s ride Kapriccio was not injured and she said the fall has not affected his confidence, but Julia herself was not so lucky.
“I was quite badly knocked out for 10 minutes, I stopped breathing and had a seizure,” she said. “So then I was off competing for a couple of months. I’ve had an amazing team behind me who kept the horses going.”
Fellow five-star rider Mollie Summerland is based at Julia’s yard and has been riding some horses for Julia Norman, plus Alicia Hawker has competed a couple.
“I’ve been working quietly at home but just took my time coming back to it because I didn’t want to come back until I was really ready. Now it’s in at the deep end at Burghley,” said Julia, who had a prep run with her Burghley ride Ardeo Berlin at Aston-le-Walls at the start of August.
The 36-year-old rider, who is making her second Burghley start having finished 31st in 2019 on Carryon Bobby Boy, switched nationality over the winter to represent Zimbabwe, having previously ridden for Britain. She explained that her late mother Gill was born in Zimbabwe.
“My grandparents lived there for quite a long time, so it was always slightly something we’ve considered. We visited Zimbabwe last year to meet quite a lot of people over there and look into it and it was all very feasible, so I’ve got my Zimbabwean passport and it’s really exciting – it opens lots of doors,” she said.
“I’ve got a young horse that I’m hoping to take to the young horse World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers – he’s just got his qualification and so I can go if I choose.”
Julia Norman added that her Burghley ride Ardeo Berlin is not the easiest on the flat but he is giving her experience at the top level which will hopefully stand her in good stead in the future.
“I’ve got a really exciting team of young ones coming up through, who luckily are a little bit easier,” she said. “But he giving me this mileage, which is great to keep my eye in because it’s taken four years to get a horse back up to this level.”
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