Vaughan-Jones defies the odds
A talented rider comes back from surgery to win at the lower levels and Nicola Wilson is on top form in the big classes
IN the past two years, BE105 winner Indie Vaughan-Jones has undergone knee ligament reconstruction and dislocated and shattered her elbow. The latter happened in a fall last September and required major surgery. The outcome, she was warned, could have been life-changing.
“The head of my radius had broken into pieces and I’d severed the main ligament in my arm,” explained Indie. “It took speaking to five surgeons before I found one who was willing to operate.”
But the 24-year-old not only defied the doctors who said she would be out of action for at least a year and would likely only reclaim 50–75% of her range of motion, but returned to the saddle three months post-surgery to begin her preparation for the new eventing season.
“At the time of my injury, I held my point-to-point licence, which meant I was able to gain access to physiotherapy at Peter O’Sullevan House thanks to the Injured Jockeys Fund,” said Indie, who produces young horses, teaches, takes in racehorses for pre-training and – until last year – rode the odd pointer from her family’s yard in Wells, Norfolk.
Her winning partner at Great Witchingham was seven-year-old All Over At Midnight, bought from Goresbridge sales three years ago.
“He’s super-talented and I’d love to be able to keep him and take him up the grades,” she said.
Nicola Wilson made the long trip south worthwhile when she took the advanced intermediate on Hawk Eye and one of two open intermediates (OI) on MHS Seventeen.
The latter is a new ride for this year, co-owned by Lady Milnes Coates and Deirdre Johnston, who also part-owns Nicola’s European champion JL Dublin.
“He has been beautifully produced by Sara Bowe [who won at Northallerton, see report, right] to intermediate. We spent the winter getting to know one another and he felt super here in all three phases,” enthused Nicola.
Helen Scott’s Hawk Eye, who finished fourth in the eight- and nine-year-olds at Blenheim last year, will be aimed at Bramham.
Of Great Witchingham, Nicola added: “I really like coming here. The cross-country is quite oldfashioned, but gives a good allround education and the ground is always great. The fact that there were a lot of top riders here shows how valuable an event it is.”
Oliver Townend scored an intermediate double with Caunton First Class and Crazy Du Loir, while an equally on-form Tom Jackson topped the remaining OI section with Fire Fly.
“I’d love to be able to take him up the grades”
INDIE VAUGHAN-JONES