Horse producer badly hurt at event
Ms Bourns, who was transferred to Dublin’s Mater Hospital with possible neck injuries, and another woman, Rose Mary Rice, were hit by a young horse in the warm-up arena.
“I’m fine, just banged and bruised. I was lucky,” said Ms Rice, a committee member of the SJI’s Leinster region, last night. “We were in the warm-up arena and a young horse ducked out of the fence and, unfortunately, Deirdre was badly hurt. She is a real force in show jumping and produces a lot of fine horses. I just pray that she has a full recovery.”
Ms Bourns and husband Richard are well-known horse producers, based at Lisbeg Farm, Ballinasloe, Co Galway. In 2007, their son Andrew moved to Florida and is a regular on the US circuit. He was on the Irish team that placed second a fortnight ago in the $300,000 Canadian Nations Cup in Calgary.
SJI chairman Christy Murphy yesterday said: “We were saddened to hear of this, and our thoughts are with Deirdre and Rosemary and their families. We will have to investigate the circumstances.”