Former international Dutch young rider Julia Groenhart is on the road to recovery after getting severely injured in a barn accident on 24 August 2020.
The 23-year old Groenhart was in a small tractor mucking out stalls when she fell out of the tractor and it flipped on top of her.
She had to be reanimated and was brought to the emergency room of the Erasmus Hospital in Rotterdam. They diagnosed her with a brain bleed and was operated on to fix multiple fractures. She also sustained fractures to several bones in her face as well as to her shin bone and fibula.
The doctors estimated the length of her rehabilitation to nine months to a year.
Groenhart competed 2.5 years at international Young Riders level with the now 14-year old NRPS registered First Barrichello (by Florencio x Rubiquil). She made her CDI debut at the CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland in April 2016 and competed at internationals such as Saumur, Roosendaal, Diepenbeek, Darmstadt, Le Mans, and Hagen. Her last CDI was in February 2018 in her last year as a young rider. She has not been to an international show since then.
Due to her accident and long road to recovery, the ride on Groenhart's horses has been taken over by the Dutch based Danish rider Thea Bech at livery yard De Watertoren. Two of horse horses are Inzaghi (by Johnson x Scandic) and small tour horse Capora LH (by Leonardo Da Vinci x Jazz).
Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Julia Groenhart
Van Zwambagt and Groenhart Win Third Leg of KNHS Junior-Young Riders Cup in Vorden
Dutch Dressage Squads of 2018 Updated
Van Peperstraten, Donkers, Maas, Meulendijks, Gal Win 2017 Dutch Dressage Championships
Photo Report: Sunny Side Up at 2017 CDI Roosendaal