Oliver Townend has revealed that a new, state of the art riding jacket could well have saved his life after he was knocked out cold following a horrific fall whilst competing at the Rolex Kentucky three-day event in America a fortnight ago.
Riding Ashdale Cruise Master Townend hit his head on a rail at the 20th fence combination which knocked him out before his horse then rolled over him. The Yorkshireman was airlifted to hospital suffering from a broken left shoulder, a fractured collar bone, sternum and four ribs and only gained consciousness on the helicopter. "My first words to the nurse on the helicopter were: "I guess this means I didn't win,"" Townend revealed.
In a sport riddled with serious injuries and more than few deaths over the years a rueful Townend spent yesterday at home on his Shropshire farm nursing his wounds, making plans for a comeback which, astonishingly, he has set for just two weeks' time, and thinking about how he almost pulled off a 230,000 Rolex Grand Slam by winning Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky all in a calendar year. Instead, when well-placed, the fall ended his chances of completing the treble or from competing last week at Badminton.
Yet Townend's major concern was over educating the equestrian world about his new jacket. "Everyone knows how dangerous eventing can be," he explained. "I've had many friends badly injured and even lost a few who have been killed doing this sport.
"When you look what happened to me I could have become another statistic. What saved me without any doubt was the Point Two Air Jacket that I've been wearing since it was first produced in Britain a year ago.
"It basically works like a car airbag. You are attached to the saddle and when it is released in a fall it blows air into your jacket, thus cushioning any falls. More and more people in eventing are beginning to wear them now, and I know that the video of my fall was shown at Badminton last week which seemed to up sales of the jacket considerably, but there are still plenty of riders who do not wear them.
"I urge them to buy one as soon as possible because in my view it is a huge step forward in the safety of my sport. If I had not been wearing one I would still be an American hospital right now at best or, at worst, I would not be around at all."
Having already won last year's Badminton and Burghley the 27-year-old was well-set to win in Kentucky and complete a treble that only Pippa Funnell had ever achieved. He had already produced a clear round on ODT Master Rose in the cross-country stages which would have placed him fifth going into the final day's show-jumping and, as he approached the 20th fence on Ashdale Cruise Master having gone clear up to that point, Townend knew that a clear round would have placed him in second place behind eventual winner William Fox-Pitt.
"I've watched the video numerous times," he admitted. "The horse didn't quite jump high enough which is why he clipped the rail. I seemed to stay on the horse until we both landed. I didn't actually fall off him. When we landed side by side, and I was unconscious, he then rolled over me. It's by far the worst accident I've ever had."
Incredibly Townend, despite his list of serious injuries, aims to be riding his horses this week, before competing in Leicestershire in 13 days' time. "You don't see Tony McCoy take six or eight weeks to recover from a fall, and I have a living to make," he explained. "I'm planning to compete in the one day event at Brigstock weekend after next and then in Germany the week after that. "There's still a lot to achieve this year, including Burghley in September and then the world championships back in Kentucky later in the year. At least all the medical staff there know me well now."
