German professional young horse rider Mareike Mimberg-Hess got injured in a riding accident on Tuesday 3 March 2026. She is fortunately on the road to recovery.
"I experienced the worst fall from a horse in my riding career, breaking my sacrum (the junction between the pelvis and spine) and injuring important nerves in my abdomen," Mimberg explained. "Yet I am incredibly grateful (as it was) just a few centimetres away from paraplegia!"
Mareike can rely on her team to take over her business while she rehabilitates.
"How often have I been lucky, and now once again it is my friends and my team who are catching me, carrying me and keeping everything running," she confessed. "The horses are being ridden, trained and sold on. In my command centre at the hospital, there's never a dull moment."
Mimberg credits - Niels von Hirschheydt, Rebecca Holtwiesche and her husband Philipp Hess for saving her day. "They immediately stepped into my shoes and doing everything possible to keep the horses fit and show them to customers."
Mareike's unshaken in her resilience and positive thinking, despite her injury.
"The goal is to be back in the saddle in time for the BC qualifiers, so let's get back to fighting form," she said.
Mareike Mimberg-Hess is a German dressage rider whose competition career has focused on the national showing, mainly of young horses. She is based in Borgholzhausen with her stable and is married to Philipp Hess, son of judge and commentator Christoph Hess. At the 2025 Bundeschampionate she showed five horses and ponies in total.
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