Irish Olympic eventing rider Jonty Evans suffered severe brain trauma in 2018 after falling off his horse. After a long recovery period, the horse microbe has not disappeared, leading Evans to decide to continue his career as a para-dressage rider.
The eventing sports have been the playground for over more than 20 years for Jonty Evans. With successes such as a seventh place at the European Championships in 2005 and being part of the winning Irish team during the Nations Cup of Boekelo in 2015 this all led up to a ninth place at the Olympics of Rio in 2016. In 2017 his top horse was said to be sold but thanks to a huge crowdfunding the pair could stay together.
In 2018 the unthinkable happened, Evans fell off his horse during the Cross Country which caused severe brain damage. Evans did not only have to start over by learning to speak and move again, also his riding had to be picked up again. Despite his rentrée in 2019 where he successfully rode a jumping course again, the Irish has now decided to focus on Para Dressage.
Source: Eurodressage
The eventing sports have been the playground for over more than 20 years for Jonty Evans. With successes such as a seventh place at the European Championships in 2005 and being part of the winning Irish team during the Nations Cup of Boekelo in 2015 this all led up to a ninth place at the Olympics of Rio in 2016. In 2017 his top horse was said to be sold but thanks to a huge crowdfunding the pair could stay together.
In 2018 the unthinkable happened, Evans fell off his horse during the Cross Country which caused severe brain damage. Evans did not only have to start over by learning to speak and move again, also his riding had to be picked up again. Despite his rentrée in 2019 where he successfully rode a jumping course again, the Irish has now decided to focus on Para Dressage.
Source: Eurodressage