Nicola Wilson Update

[Wishfilly]

Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere, but I saw there has been an update on Nicola Wilson's condition following her fall at Badminton on Saturday:

https://www.britishequestrian.org.uk/news/update-nicola-wilson

Nicola Wilson was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol following her fall from JL Dublin at Badminton Horse Trials on Saturday 7 May, where she has received outstanding care and attention from the expert team.

Nicola is in intensive care and will be for the next week or so. She is able to breathe independently and is talking. She sustained no head injury.

There are several spinal fractures, but these are all stable and will not require any surgical intervention, but will be managed conservatively.

Other acute symptoms from the trauma are being managed in intensive care by the specialists at Southmead.

British Equestrian’s Athlete Health Lead Ashleigh Wallace and Chief Medical Officer Anna-Louise Mackinnon have been working with Nicola’s family and the team at Southmead to ensure all medical information is shared fully across the teams so that care and appropriate support is optimised.

Her horse, JL Dublin, owned by James and Jo Lambert and Deirdre Johnston, is now back at Nicola’s base in Yorkshire and will be monitored by the team, but appears none the worse for his fall.

Nicola, her husband Alastair and mother Mary Tweddle would like to thank the team at Southmead for everything they have done so far. They feel incredibly supported by their eventing family and appreciate all the well wishes and messages received.

It sounds like a very serious accident but the outcome is not quite as bad as it could have been.

Wishing her all the best and I hope she is able to make a full and speedy recovery!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

That’s a positive update. I follow Caroline March on insta and she’s done some real damage from her fall as well but is staying positive

 

[AmyMay]

That’s a positive update. I follow Caroline March on insta and she’s done some real damage from her fall as well but is staying positive

Some very scary damage?

 

[Wishfilly]

That’s a positive update. I follow Caroline March on insta and she’s done some real damage from her fall as well but is staying positive

Yes, best wishes to her as well, it sounds like she has unfortunately had some really serious injuries but will hopefully continue to improve!

 

[fetlock]

Thanks for sharing the update.

 

[Northern Hare]

That’s a positive update. I follow Caroline March on insta and she’s done some real damage from her fall as well but is staying positive

Hi CC, I absolutely agree, both Nicola Wilson and Caroline March are in my thoughts, and I hope that both ladies make a really good recovery. I can't imagine what a worrying time it must be for their families and friends. ?

 

[Sossigpoker]

I have a stable spinal fracture which was managed conservatively and it has healed just fine. It is very good news that her fractures are stable and she didn't have a head injury. This could have been so much worse and it sounds like this is almost the best case scenario.
I'm looking forward to hearing when she can go back home and hope she continues to recover well.
What a tough lady she is !

 

[canteron]

I used to steward at events and Nicola (and her lovely mother) always stood out as the best of people. Huge good wishes to Nicola - she is an awesome rider and I am sure we will see her back on a horse competing very soon.

 

[splashgirl45]

good news, hope all goes well , fingers and toes crossed

 

[Velcrobum]

It was a horrific fall and she was rolled over by JL Dublin. I suspect she has abdominal crush injuries which would keep her in ITU for a couple of weeks. It is very good to hear she did not have a head injury (she was out cold after the fall) and that she is not ventilated. Hopefully she will recover well from all the trauma but I suspect we will not see her competing for quite a few months. I personally think if she had been wearing an air jacket she would not have sustained as many injuries as she did. Emily King had an almost identical horse fall but was wearing an air jacket which very obviously protected her from injury. I suspect air jackets might soon become mandatory as body protectors did in the past.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'm a big fan of air jackets (I'm wearing one out hacking in my avatar) but wearing one might not have helped her as she fell with the horse and might not have been thrown sufficiently clear to activate the pull cord in time.

The fall isn't available to watch anymore, but I did have just that conversation with my OH after seeing it at the time.

 

[quizzie]

I'm a big fan of air jackets (I'm wearing one out hacking in my avatar) but wearing one might not have helped her as she fell with the horse and might not have been thrown sufficiently clear to activate the pull cord in time.

The fall isn't available to watch anymore, but I did have just that conversation with my OH after seeing it at the time.

And the danger in falls like that is that the air bags then inflate when the horse rolls off the rider, and run the risk of displacing fractures caused by the fall, potentially moving a fractured spinal cord or puncturing a lung.

There are falls where air jackets can help reduce injury, but unfortunately there are also circumstances where they can make things worse. As with many things, there is no failsafe safety measure.

 

[Velcrobum]

I'm a big fan of air jackets (I'm wearing one out hacking in my avatar) but wearing one might not have helped her as she fell with the horse and might not have been thrown sufficiently clear to activate the pull cord in time.

The fall isn't available to watch anymore, but I did have just that conversation with my OH after seeing it at the time.

Air jacket activation is remarkably rapid, yes they fell together as did Emily King's horse fall where her air jacket did protect her from injury in an identical rotational horse fall

 

[TheMule]

Air jacket activation is remarkably rapid, yes they fell together as did Emily King's horse fall where her air jacket did protect her from injury in an identical rotational horse fall

Emily's fall at this Badminton was not identical to Nicola's.

The only thing proven to protect from crush injuries is the Exocage. That's why I wear that, never an air jacket.

 

[ycbm]

And the danger in falls like that is that the air bags then inflate when the horse rolls off the rider, and run the risk of displacing fractures caused by the fall, potentially moving a fractured spinal cord or puncturing a lung.

There are falls where air jackets can help reduce injury, but unfortunately there are also circumstances where they can make things worse. As with many things, there is no failsafe safety measure.

Is there any evidence this has ever happened?
.

 

[MyBoyChe]

Im sure Im not the only one who is extremely worried about Nicola, I appreciate that the family has more to think about than letting us know whats going on but I also think that if there was some really positive news we would know by now. I have everything very firmly crossed. Im not sure we should be discussing the merits of various safety measures on this thread? We all have our own ideas of what works and what doesnt and we all know that every time we go near a horse we are putting ourselves at risk to a greater or lesser degree, maybe another thread is needed for this particular discussion!!

 

[teapot]

Im sure Im not the only one who is extremely worried about Nicola, I appreciate that the family has more to think about than letting us know whats going on but I also think that if there was some really positive news we would know by now. I have everything very firmly crossed. Im not sure we should be discussing the merits of various safety measures on this thread? We all have our own ideas of what works and what doesnt and we all know that every time we go near a horse we are putting ourselves at risk to a greater or lesser degree, maybe another thread is needed for this particular discussion!!

I'm not so sure - it is no one's business at the end of day but her and her family's.

 

[shortstuff99]

Is there any evidence this has ever happened?
.

There is this study which found riders wearing air vests were more likely to have serious or fatal falls then riders that don't. They say more research is needed to find out why.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31160233/

 

[ycbm]

There is this study which found riders wearing air vests were more likely to have serious or fatal falls then riders that don't. They say more research is needed to find out why.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31160233/

Riders who are going to do dangerous stuff are more likely to choose to wear an air jacket? Especially 7 years ago, when they were more likely to be worn by eventers on a cross country than leisure riders.
.

 

[shortstuff99]

Riders who are going to do dangerous stuff are more likely to choose to wear an air jacket? Especially 7 years ago, when they were more likely to be worn by eventers on a cross country than leisure riders.
.

They were all FEI recorded falls so would have all been international level.

 

[TPO]

Emily's fall at this Badminton was not identical to Nicola's.

The only thing proven to protect from crush injuries is the Exocage. That's why I wear that, never an air jacket.

Daft question but did BE not ban the WW exo body protector? Is there a new BE legal exocage?

 

[Artax]

Riders who are going to do dangerous stuff are more likely to choose to wear an air jacket? Especially 7 years ago, when they were more likely to be worn by eventers on a cross country than leisure riders.
.

The study does explicitly record all falls in FEI events which required body protectors including air jackets, so there were no leisure riders, nor were there any randomisation to higher risk events as far as I can see from the study.

 

[ycbm]

Daft question but did BE not ban the WW exo body protector? Is there a new BE legal exocage?

There's no commercially available exocage any more. The issues were what happened if nobody could find a key to get them off and heart massage was required, and what further damage might happen to an injured rider in getting rigid cage off, as I recall.
.

 

[Ambers Echo]

There is this study which found riders wearing air vests were more likely to have serious or fatal falls then riders that don't. They say more research is needed to find out why.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31160233/

I looked at research data when trying to decide whether to get an air vest. I found one study that tried to explain the small increase in serious injuries with air vests. I can’t find the link now but do recall the study saying the issues were:

- air vest not detaching
- riders not being thrown as far from the horse so getting under hooves
- ability of riders to land and roll away hampered

I have worked with a rider who was dragged. It was not that it failed to come free but it then got hooked up on something.

 

[TheMule]

Daft question but did BE not ban the WW exo body protector? Is there a new BE legal exocage?

No! It's totally legal under all rules BE/ RC/ FEI etc

 

[ycbm]

I looked at research data when trying to decide whether to get an air vest. I found one study that tried to explain the small increase in serious injuries with air vests. I can’t find the link now but do recall the study saying the issues were:

- air vest not detaching
- riders not being thrown as far from the horse so getting under hooves
- ability of riders to land and roll away hampered

I have worked with a rider who was dragged. It was not that it failed to come free but it then got hooked up on something.

I can understand the second and especially the third. It's absolutely true you can't roll, or even scramble, out of the way in an inflated vest. If I have one on I normally rotate to fall flat on my back. If I don't I normally curl and land on my side in a foetal position.
.

 

[TheMule]

There's no commercially available exocage any more. The issues were what happened if nobody could find a key to get them off and heart massage was required, and what further damage might happen to an injured rider in getting rigid cage off, as I recall.
.

A total non-issue as there are 2 keys very clearly marked on the body protector itself

 

[ycbm]

No! It's totally legal under all rules BE/ RC/ FEI etc

I have a vague recollection it was banned because of the unlocking issue, then reinstated by rider demand because they said that was their own risk to take?
.

 

[ycbm]

A total non-issue as there are 2 keys very clearly marked on the body protector itself

Again a vague recollection that was the compromise made by Exo to get them back in use. Until then there was some talk of fence judges all having one?

This is all a long time ago and pretty academic, you must be one of a very small number of people who still have one, they haven't been sold for donkeys years.

I tried one on one in Derby House once and decided that the sheer weight of it would make me more likely to fall off of I got unbalanced.
.

 

[TheMule]

I have a vague recollection it was banned because of the unlocking issue, then reinstated by rider demand because they said that was their own risk to take?
.

As far as I know they just didn’t include it on the last updated list of accepted standards but then did when asked to reconsider