Jonty Evans and Cooley Rorkes Drift at Belton. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It was one year ago that Jonty Evans and Cooley Rorkes Drift took home top honors in the Grantham Cup CCI4*-S at Belton Horse Trials. It was notably their first international win, but it was also something more … it was a win for the worldwide eventing family that rallied to support Jonty’s gargantuan crowdfunding effort to keep the ride on his horse of a lifetime.
We all know what happened next — a fall on cross country at Tatersalls Horse Trials in June left Jonty in a seven-week-long coma, fighting for his life. The odds were stacked against him, not just to ride again, but even to regain consciousness in the first place. Tenaciously and triumphantly, Jonty has returned to the saddle.
To the delight of the crowd at — and much to his own delight at well; check out his ear-to-ear smile — Jonty and “Art” appeared in an exhibition display on Saturday. After a tour of the main arena flanked by his fellow Team Ireland riders Padraig McCarthy and Austin O’Connor, they demonstrated their flatwork and showed off just how far Jonty has come by popping over fence.
When asked what has really driven him in his long recovery Jonty replied, “I’m sitting on him.” Watch Jonty’s emotional return to Belton here:
Great to see Jonty Evans back on a horse and at Belton
Posted by BEDE Eventing on Sunday, March 31, 2019
