Ararat Pony Club's Hannah Wigg was forced to withdraw from the National Showjumping Championships.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Wigg was named in the Australian Showjumping Championships Victorian team in the days leading up to the competition in November.
Four show jumpers were selected in the team to represent the state.
The team came third, Wigg disappointed she couldn't compete to be part of the team after her horse Lily injured herself in the first round of the competition.
"It was really exciting to be named in that team but the outcome of the competition even more disappointing," she said.
"Lily hit her knee on one of the poles. We thought everything was fine but she actually damaged a growth plate in her knee.
"Obviously we were cautious but thought I could still ride her the next day.
"The next morning her knee was the size of a football. We decided it wasn't worth the risk of further injury so we decided to withdraw."
Wigg said she held hopes of the possibility Lily would be able to compete in the remaining days of the competition.
"It wasn't getting any better so we took her to the vet," Wigg said.
"We were advised what the prognosis was. We were really worried and thought it could have been career-ending after a couple of days and it wasn't getting any better.
"Luckily everything was fine and she just needed some rest to recover. I gave her a few weeks rest and have only just got back on her for some light training."
Wigg said when the injury was at its peak, she remembers the words her coach has said to her.
"When we got Lily I was told she was a great horse and I could use her as I moved up in age divisions to higher jumps because of her capabilities," she said.
"It was a frightening few days with not knowing what was wrong.
"We're heading off this weekend to a small show to have a go at the jumps again before she gets a long rest over the Christmas and New Year period."
Ho, Ho, Ho... while you're with us did you know you can buy a digital gift subscription to the Ararat Advertiser. Give the gift they'll open every day. Buy now here.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday morning from the Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from Ararat and districts, sign up here.