Scott Stewart, a three-time winner of the World Championship Hunter Rider Professional Finals, cut his indoor show season short with a fall off Prove It at the Capital Challenge (Md.) Horse Show on Monday, October 4. Stewart and Prove It crashed a jump during a regular working hunter round and the fall broke Stewart’s ankle.

“I don’t think he spooked, he just cantered through it,” said Stewart. “I tried to get my right leg out of the way but I couldn’t. He just landed on it. It was a freak thing because he’d been going beautifully and he’s the horse I’m the most comfortable on.”

Stewart is spending a lot of time in his golf cart wearing a temporary cast and icing his ankle. Once the swelling goes down the doctors can apply a plaster cast. He’ll be out of action for six to eight weeks.

Until he is back in the saddle Stewart’s partner, Ken Berkley, will pick up the rides on his horses. Until this week Berkley has never ridden any of the 10 or so mounts he is now showing at Capital Challenge. But the transition has been smooth with Berkley winning the green conformation championship riding Tribute on Wednesday afternoon.

Last fall Prove It and Stewart collected championships at the Capital Challenge, the Pennsylvania National and the Metropolitan National (N.Y.).