Dutch junior rider Demy Kurstjens has been hospitalized after a fall off a young horse on Tuesday 8 March 2016. The 18-year old will not be riding for at least six weeks.
Kurstjens was training a 4-year old when the horse spooked and lost his balance. The horse fell on top of the rider, who was wearing a helmet.
Demy was transported to the Jeroen Bosch hospital in 's Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, where the doctors diagnosed her with a dislocated hip and a crack in her pelvis.
"I can't put any weight on it for six weeks and then a new X-ray will be taken to determine the further rehabilitation process," Demy Kurstjens told Eurodressage. "It's hurting quite a lot now but the morphine is taken away the sharpest pain."
The Helvoirt based rider is an assistant trainer at Stable Witte, which is owned by Dutch horse dealer Nico Witte and his Grand Prix riding wife Madeleine Witte-Vrees.
Kurstjens represented The Netherlands at the 2013 and 2014 European Pony Championships, where she finished 8th and 5th individually. She has been working on her international debut at junior riders' level with Chaplin DK (by Johnson x Osmium). She is currently riding a lot of young horses and aims to qualify Glamour (by Charmeur x OO seven) for the 2016 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo, The Netherlands, in August.
"Hopefully it will heal fast before the World Championships," Kurstjens added. "If all goes well I should make it to the World Championships and Pavo Cup, only qualifying for the European Junior Riders Championships won't work."
Photo © Digishots
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