DEFENDING national dressage champion Kate Dwyer has been ruled out of next weekend’s championships at Cavan Equestrian Centre after fracturing her spine in a fall from a young horse at home on Wednesday morning.

The 33-year-old Meath-based rider didn’t think she had done too much damage until an x-ray showed a compression in her lower lumbar spine, caused by the impact.

Speaking to The Irish Field yesterday (Friday), Dwyer said: “I was riding a young horse at home and after getting on him he bucked up and down a few times, which was really out of character. He eventually got me off and I landed on my shoulder. I thought I just had muscle spasm but when I couldn’t get up I called the ambulance myself, as it was only myself and a livery girl here in the yard.

“Strangely, I wasn’t in as much pain as you would think for a fracture. It’s very scary because I probably could have forced myself to get back up, I am very lucky I decided not to be brave!”

Dwyer is “gutted” to be missing the championships next weekend, with her top horse Snowdon Faberge back in form after an injury. Last April the pair were crowned national winter champions at the same venue.

“I am very disappointed. Snowdon Faberge was out with an injury at the beginning of the summer and now he is back fit and ready to go do the Grand Prix and I can’t go. But look, I walked out of the hospital so I am a very lucky girl!”

Dwyer hopes to be back in the saddle within a few months and is aiming to qualify for the World Equestrian Games in North Carolina next September.

“I am in a back brace for four weeks, but they told me if you are going to break your back that it is a good place to do it – the prognosis is very positive so hopefully I will be back in a couple of weeks,” she said.

“I was hoping to get away and do a few internationals in the winter and try to qualify for the WEG, but I don’t know how my timeline is looking now.”