When her beloved horse was fatally injured after bolting on to a busy road near Wolverhampton, heartbroken Kay Russell insisted she never wanted to ride again.
But the 18-year-old has now put the traumatic ordeal behind her to get back in the saddle and win five trophies at a prestigious showjumping event in the Black Country.
The teenager’s six-year-old horse Nory had to be put down after being hit by a car on the A449 Stafford Road in March this year.
The animal collided with a 4×4 being driven by a 61-year-old woman near the M54 island at Coven Heath, suffering horrific injuries.
Chris White, who owns the Orchard Showjumpers stables at Meadow Lane, Coven Heath, said: “Kay was devastated.
“She said she never wanted a horse and never wanted to ride again.
“We were all distraught. No matter how many times you see a horse put down you never get used to it.
“Everyone was crying. It was terrible.
“We tried to get Kay back in the saddle as soon as possible.
“We didn’t want her to leave it.
“When her prizes were being announced we said ‘That one’s for Nory’. It is terrific for her after what happened.”
As soon as Kay, a care worker in Walsall, saw her new steed Harley, she fell in love and was persuaded to start competing again.
She said today: “I was really proud to win as we had such a bad start to the year when my horse was killed.
“I didn’t think I wanted to ride again but Chris really encouraged me to do this.
“I really pleased to end the season with five cups and eight rosettes.”
Kay has been riding since she was four and lives in Coven Heath. She is a former pupil of Cheslyn Hay High School
At Sunday’s Sedgley Riding Club tournament at Wood Farm in Gospel End Road, she not only scooped the trophy for the most points scored overall in the season, she also won the 2ft 9in and 2ft 6in senior novice categories.
Her proud mother Sharon said: “It was fantastic to see her winning all those trophies. She was thrilled.
“She had psyched herself up and said to herself this was going to be her day – and it was.”
2 Comments
Well done Kay. Unless you have suffered the terrible distress of losing a horse in tragic circumstances, it’s hard to understand how awful it is.
Good luck for the future.
Well done. I know exactly how you feel and its the worst thing that can happen whilst out riding. Good luck for your future.