Three days after his 21st birthday, Aiden Ward was looking forward to what should have been a straightforward day out with young horses. Instead, it marked the start of a long and challenging recovery and another important reminder of how vital the right support can be when injury strikes.
In February 2025, Aiden, an event groom and rider competing up to BE 1*, travelled to Somerford Park for a farm ride with a group of young horses. It’s the sort of day he’s enjoyed many times before but this time, as Aiden was mounting one of the horses, things took an unexpected turn.
The horse spooked and ran forward, causing the saddle to slip, and Aiden fell heavily. He had broken both his tibia and fibula and dislocated his ankle, and it would be a long road back to the saddle. Aiden spent nine days in hospital, where he underwent reconstructive surgery to pin his tibia in place. He was then discharged with a cast and faced six weeks of enforced rest.
“I thought getting the cast off would mean I’d be back riding,” Aiden says. “But I was being a bit ambitious.”
When the cast was finally removed, scans showed that his fibula had not healed sufficiently. Instead of returning to normal activity, Aiden was sent away for a further six weeks, this time in a boot. While the setback was frustrating, it did at least allow him to begin light weight-bearing and take the first small steps forward.
By this stage, the mental challenge of the injury was proving just as tough as the physical one. Progress felt slow, plans kept changing and the uncertainty of when he would be able to ride or return to work weighed heavily on his mind.
It was during this period that the British Eventing Support Trust was able to step in and provide support. Jane Rudd, Welfare Officer from the BE Support Trust had been in touch from early on, encouraging Aiden to trust the process and reminding him that setbacks are often part of recovery from serious injury. When Aiden was finally cleared to begin physiotherapy, that support became even more important.
After four weeks in the boot, Aiden was allowed to take it off and start physio in earnest. Over the following six to eight weeks, he gradually rebuilt strength, mobility and confidence, always with the clear goal of getting back on a horse safely.
“Jane and the team at the BE Support Trust kept me sane from the beginning. Having someone there who understood both the injury and the sport made such a difference.”
By the end of August, Aiden was back riding and able to return to work, a milestone that had felt a long way off during those early weeks in hospital and recovery.
Looking back, Aiden is clear about the impact the Trust had on his journey. “I can’t thank Jane and the team at the British Eventing Support Trust enough for their help,” he says.
Injuries like Aiden’s can happen in a split second, but their consequences can last for months – physically, mentally and financially. The British Eventing Support Trust exists to support British Eventing competing members through exactly these moments, helping them navigate recovery and return to the sport they love.