Oklahoma Dressage Society

Tue, 03/09/2010 - 15:58 | Aspenell
I imagine most everyone has heard the sad news about Courtney's accident last week. courtney is an Olympic level rider, showed Mythius at the Bejing Olympics, and perhaps is best known for her association with the Dutch stallion Idocus for so much of his career. She holds a special place in my thoughts, as I have a son of Idocus from his first foal crop ~ that would be my boy, Odakai. Courtney was trying out a young horse for a client last week, apparently doing a simple attempt at a leg yield when the youngster got his feet jumbled up and fell with her. Unfortunately, she was not wearing a helmet and sustained a skull fracture and intracerebral bleeding on the brain. She was airlifted out and has been in ICU since. Initially she was in a medically induced coma, and from what I've gathered since, she is only minimally responsive.
My point in all this is about the helmet ~ she wasn't wearing one. guess who else has never routinely worn a helmet? Me ~ no excuses or reasons suffice for this. I expect and require my students to wear them, so why have I been so cavalier about not wearing on emyself? No good reason is valid. I just want to go on record as saying, this has done it for me, and I am now committed to the wearing of a helmet. Yes, and given permission to any friends or students to remind me of that!! I would just like to encourage anyone out there not wearing one to re-examine why you don't and reconsider. It is such a little thing, to put one on, and maybe, just maybe it can save you and your friends and family a LOT of grief. I was especially hit with the fact that Courtney wasn't riding a crazy thing nor doing anything "dangerous", just doing a little innocent leg yield.....
Please be safe out there ~ Kay Kamish

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