ONE very welcome face at last Saturday night’s Irish Sport Horse Industry Awards at The K Club in Co Kildare was that of Longford show jumper Aisling Byrne.

Byrne was spending her first night out of hospital in almost three months in the company of friends and family at the awards ceremony, which she was originally due to host alongside MC Brendan McArdle, who too almost didn’t make it to the event after a busy week in the parade ring at Punchestown!

Byrne was left with two broken hips, a crushed pelvis and internal bleeding after a freak riding accident in Portugal in mid-February and has spent the last few months recovering in Tallaght Hospital.

The determined lady went straight from the hospital to The K Club, where she was moving around on crutches at the awards and has since settled in at home in Newtownforbes. “I am feeling even better since getting out and sort of somewhat getting back to normal,” she told The Irish Field this week.

“People say you recover quicker at home and I feel that, you kind of get back to old habits. I feel great and am making plans to go and see the horses, and my friends are calling to visit me.”

Byrne starts rehab in Santry next week and is determined to be back in the saddle for the beginning of the 2019 season. She surprised the medical team in Tallaght when taking a few steps on the first day of her initial rehab in the hospital.

“They expected me to take a few steps by the end of the week but I started walking (with crutches) on the first day, so they are reluctant to give me a date of when I will be on my feet on my own again.

“I have a lovely team of doctors. Dr Leonard was my main surgeon and the rest of the team were really lovely too. I have to say my mum (Bridget) was amazing. She was up every day, not a day went by when she wasn’t there. She was bringing in food for me and everything I needed, I couldn’t ask for better.”

Byrne had to take a big step back from her travel business, Journey Through Ireland, after the accident but is started to build back up to work, and despite missing out on shows in Europe, is taking the time to enjoy being at home with family.