The Dutch born Belgian para dressage rider Nicole den Dulk suffered a serious set back in her show schedule and health as she fractured both her legs falling off Jackpot Verde in the warm-up at the 2023 CPEDI Waregem (BEL) on 21 April 2023.
Den Dulk planned on competing her two horses in Waregem: her 20-year old championship horse Wallace (by Future x Rohdiamant) as well as her newest addition, the 7-year old Finnish warmblood Jackpot Verde (by Furstenball x Londonderry).
Tractor
During the warm-up on Friday, Jackpot Verde spooked and Nicole fell off.
"Jackpot and a lot of other horses spooked so hard from a tractor who was fertilising a field behind the arena. It sounded like someone was throwing gravel against the arena," Den Dulk explained. "That's why I fell off. Nothing serious I thought first and got back on Jackpot. I walked him a bit to give him his confidence back. By the evening my legs were very swollen so we went to the hospital. It turned out that I have fractured both my shin bones. So I'll be sidelined for a while."
Sidelined
Den Dulk is in two casts and will be sidelined for a while so her legs can heal.
"My horses were going so well, so this is a lot to take in. Next week there will be more tests and then we'll see how long this is going to take," she added. "Fortunately I already had a wheel chair," she joked.
Den Dulk is a Grade II para dressage rider after becoming paraplegic due to a riding accident in 2008. She turns 43 years old today, 23 April 2023.
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