Claire competing at Pau
Everything seemed to be going brilliantly for Claire Lomas in the spring of 2007; she had competed at Burghley the year before despite doing eventing in what she describes as a very amateurish way, combining it with her job as a chiropractor. A freak accident at Osberton though, changed her life forever. In our conversation about the following four years, she laughs, giggles, swears and almost moves me to tears, but never once blames anyone, “just unlucky really, he was a lovely horse, it wasn’t his fault.” (Roland, her horse who collided with a tree on cross country at Osberton that fateful day) or feels sorry for herself. Instead, we chat at length about everything she has going on,
“It’s gone so quickly, I can’t tell you quickly it’s gone, I must be having too much fun! Four and a half years isn’t long, but those first couple of years dragged by. Everything stopped so suddenly and it felt like every door was slammed in my face. It was hard, very hard going to the events, especially in the first year after my accident. I’d bought a couple of young horses probably about six months before my accident, so a friend of mine ended up riding them for me that year until we sold them. I can’t say I loved going to watch them eventing, it was painful, really horrible. Going to Burghley Horse Trials about four months after my accident and just sitting there watching the horse I’d ridden there the year before competing there again. I knew I should have been there riding, and instead I found myself in this situation, I couldn’t quite believe it. That was probably the worst day of my life. Since then life has moved on. I didn’t go to as many events to watch until this year when I went to a few, but as my life has built back up I don’t miss the eventing so much and can enjoy watching some of my friends compete. I don’t regret eventing at all because I’ve had so much fun through it. I met a lot of my friends eventing, and I’ve got some of the best friends in the world, I can’t really grumble. The support I’ve had from the equestrian world kept me going on the down days. My friends, old and new, have been incredibly supportive, not only raising money for me to have the equipment and physio I need, but just knowing that all these people are behind me has helped me beyond belief. It’s been very comforting, and I actually feel very lucky.”
Claire is a complete T4, which means that she’s paralysed from about her bra strap down. Although she’s been diagnosed as completely paralysed, “through the years since then I’ve definitely got feeling and movement below my injury level, and I can feel right down to my hips now. It’s very slow progress, but nerves take a long time to heal, and I just keep trying.”
Ten months after her accident, Claire and her boyfriend of four years standing separated,
“He just couldn’t deal with the accident and made me feel about fifty times worse and totally rejected. That first year was such a horrible time, you feel pretty awful anyway; your body changes, I went from being a fit, toned event rider to feeling weak and flabby, my muscles didn’t work, it was horrible. I didn’t think I’d meet anyone again, and I wondered if anyone would ever want me, but this wasn’t a reason to stay with the guy I was with. I had to end the relationship, one of the best moves I have ever made, I felt a huge relief straight away!”
Claire though, was not single for long. As part of her physical therapy she spends a lot of time in a standing frame, and passes the time on her laptop. One of her friends had happened to click on this particular dating website on her computer before her, so she decided to fill in the form…
“I met Dan on the internet, paid twenty quid! I was very lucky, I was only on the website for three days before he messaged me. I met him about two weeks after that; I was really nervous, I’d have been nervous anyway, without the accident but being in a wheelchair just made it worse. I took two friends with me and we met about halfway in a pub in Oxford. I was nervous but I told myself that’s never stopped me from doing anything before! It was nerve-wracking embarking on a new relationship in this situation because I was worried, and there were new things for me, and him to get used to, but he’s never seen my injury as a problem at all, it just doesn’t bother him. I am still the same person, I wasn’t going to settle with anyone just because he could cope with my injury, but Dan was very fanciable! He’s a research scientist, has his pilot licence, is amazing on the piano, and he’s very sporty and good-looking too! I felt like the accident had done me a favour – I found out what the ex was like, and got an upgrade! He proposed to me after about ten months, we got married last year, and had Maisy this year.”
Claire and Dan
Maisy is now 8 months old, the love of Claire’s life, and something of a miracle,
“I thought the pregnancy would be horrible, apart from feeling sick, but anyone can get that!
I felt so bloody ill; at least she’s worth it because I did feel really ill! Other than that it was much easier than I thought. I was worried it would be a real struggle at the end, things like transferring – getting in and out of the car, and my shower chair, but it was all fairly easy. I didn’t get huge, I was ski-ing until about 30 weeks, and it was all fine. I could have had a natural birth, but she was the wrong way and I had to have an emergency C-section. It’s quite extraordinary because with a spinal injury nothing below your level of injury works, so in my case my bowel, bladder, sensation and movement etc, none of that works below about chest level, but I was able to do the most amazing thing in the world, grow a baby with perfect nails, eyelashes and everything!”
Maisy
It’s not out of the realm of possibility to imagine that Maisy might have a brother or sister at some point, but Claire acknowledges that as Maisy gets heavier, she does rely on help, from her own mother amongst others, a bit more to just to lift her in and out of her cot, or off the floor, the simple things she physically can’t do, “my family are brilliant”.
“I would love possibly another one, one day, but I’ve got this marathon and other things to do first. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life, she’s the coolest thing. I never thought I’d ever be as happy again as I was the year I competed at Burghley; after I had my accident I’d look back on that time and think I would never be that happy again, but this is like a billion times better than that! It’s the most amazing thing.”
Check back for Part 2 of my conversation with Claire; she talks about her love of ski-ing, her marathon plans, why she felt she needed to do another Riders Revealed calendar, and we give you a chance to win one of five copies we’re giving away.
Many many thanks to Claire, thanks for reading, and go eventing.
