Event rider Louise Harwood returned to the big stage to shine on her Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) debut 16 months after she sustained serious injuries.
Louise and her great five-star campaigner Native Spirit finished fifth in the NAF Five Star Silver League Championship at the NEC this morning (8 October).
“My horse is super, as he used to do Badminton and Burghley and now he’s had to turn into being a showjumper. I took the silver league, got myself qualified. We were all so excited to come, it’s been brilliant,” said Louise.
“It’s very exciting to be here and to be able to do something big this year, having missed Badminton and Burghley through struggling with my body mending itself.”
In June 2024, Louise fell from a muck trailer while emptying a wheelbarrow. She sustained a fractured skull, ribs and shoulder blade and broke several vertebrae, which required surgery.
She was given the all-clear to ride in August last year and successfully returned to competition, securing top-10 placings at Wellington and Cornbury Horse Trials.
But weeks later, Louise had a serious fall while competing at Blenheim and broke her femur and damaged her arm, shoulder and pelvis. The horse, Blues Cloud, was uninjured.
Louise, who has more than 20 five-star completions on her CV, has focused on showjumping this year.
“I had to just back off. I didn’t think I was fit enough to go eventing, my body wasn’t going to be able to do that this year,” she said.
“You’ve got to be so fit and strong to do all the sitting back and leaning on the cross-country side. My body wasn’t going to be able to do that this year. And of course, it’s very expensive and risky, if I’m not right to do it really well.
“So I concentrated on showjumping and have had fewer horses to ride. We’ve just been having fun and I’ve been really enjoying it. You don’t have to put studs in, you don’t have to plait them up. It’s a lot easier!”
She added: “I’ve definitely got the bug. I just need more showjumpers now. Native was bought to be my eventer, and he was bred to be an eventer and not to be a super-duper showjumper. So I need some other horses, and some rides to bring on.
“I bought myself a couple of young horses that are bred to be showjumpers. So that is the way I’m thinking I’m going to go in the future, hopefully.”
Gold for silver and bronze winners
Emily Morris won her second NAF Five Star Bronze League Championship, this time with her “absolute superstar” Searlait ML, and Mollie Smith and Church Park Elite won the silver title.
Emily, who won the class in 2016 with Ultimatun II, finished more than two seconds clear of Danny Nicholson with Jarley VL.
“It really hasn’t sunk in, I am a bit speechless,” said Emily, who bought the mare as a four-year-old from a friend. “She’s only six and she hasn’t been to many shows with this kind of atmosphere, but she just went in and performed as though she had been doing it all her life. She knows her job, and she is an absolute superstar.”
Emily said her last win in the class feels like a long time ago, adding: “I think it’s more special this time because of the horse’s age. There was a bit of expectation as she’s been on really good form, but anything can happen in showjumping and you’re only as good as your last round.”
Mollie and her own 11-year-old mare were also some two seconds clear to take the silver league title.
“It’s amazing,” Mollie said. “I’ve been trying to qualify for this class for so long, and it’s just never really happened. The horse deserves it so much. ‘Ellie’ is really spooky indoors, and if we got through the first round I kind of thought she would have a shot. She’s so special. I got her as a five year old so I know her inside out, and I trust her completely.”
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