Oliver Townend will not compete at the Badminton CCI**** this year after a serious rotational fall at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** on April 24. Townend was scheduled to compete with Carousel Quest and Golden Hue; he was last year’s winner aboard Flint Curtis.
“Unfortunately [the Fédération Equestre Internationale] laid me off for 21 days because I was unconscious,” Townend reported on April 25.
Townend spent the night at The University of Kentucky Hospital, but his horse, Ashdale Cruise Master, walked away unscathed.
“[I’m] relieved that my horses are both well. I was really pleased with both horses, obviously until the point of disaster. But at the same time, we’ll all live to fight another day,” Townend said.
Though Townend sustained several injuries, they were not enough to keep him from watching the show jumping phase of the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** on Sunday.
When asked what had caused the fall, Townend replied, “The horse was going unbelievable. He was giving me a real good spin. Everything was coming up on good distances. You know, he’s a top, top, top class horse. Don’t know him that well, but I don’t see that he’s going to make many mistakes like that in his career. And I do feel that he just did make a mistake.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Townend’s chance to win the elusive $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam was dashed after the fall. He stated, ”At the end of the day you don’t miss what you never had. It’s gonna be a disappointment, but at the same time, I’m very, very fortunate to be put in the likes of Pippa Funnell and Andrew Hoy.
“There will be another day, and in the grand scheme of things I’m still here and still got a lot of wins left in me,” he continued.
