My name is Henry Winnington I’ll be 12 on the 12th January and I love riding.
Back in 2021 I thought my dreams had ended, a week after. my first One Day Event where I came 3rd, I fell off my pony Megan at a Pony Club rally. I can’t remember much as I had a seizure. An ambulance arrived and took me to hospital to check me out. Once I was seen I mentioned my back hurt me, so the doctor sent me for a X-ray and they kept me in to check I was OK for a few hours.
Next thing I knew I was being strapped into this big red thing as the doctor told me and Mum I wasn’t allowed to move until I had a CT scan of my back. Turns out I’d fractured my back in 3 places and damaged a disc!
I had to stay in hospital for about a week, until the doctors said it was ok to go home. Once I was at home I was on bed rest for weeks and missed a lot of school but I was more upset I wasn’t allowed to ride my pony.
It was nearly a year later I started riding again. I joined a new pony club as we had moved from Leicestershire to Aberdeenshire. I was nervous to start with but Lorraine Buchan who teaches at pony club and privately, helped me get my confidence back and soon I was jumping again which I love. I started competing again, only over smaller fences but I was so happy to be riding and jumping again.
I went to a few pony club and riding club events with Megan and we were placed every time. We even Won the EAPC Mini Summer Show jumping league. I was over the moon, I never thought in a million years I would be back doing what I love, let alone winning.
Last weekend was my Pony Club 2022 Awards Night. I won EAPC Best Newcomer 2022 and I was awarded my Pony Club Gold Mini Achievement Badge Award and badges for taking part in all the relevant Area pony club teams I was in during 2022. Our Dressage to Music Team came 4th out of all the teams in the UK.
I think that determination and loving what you do means that even if you get knocked down, you can always get back up. You never know what you might achieve and of course I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and friends.
Henry
