Sammy Jo Bell, the leading rider in last year's Shergar Cup, will be wheelchair-bound for six weeks after surgery on her fractured pelvis sustained in a fall at Carlisle last Friday.
The three-pound claimer was injured when her mount, the Lucy Normile-trained Royal Duchess (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), reared up and fell on her on the way to the start. Bell won twice on the 6-year-old mare at Ayr last season.
Initially thought to have injured her pubic bone, Bell, who is apprenticed to Richard Fahey, underwent further tests at York District Hospital on Tuesday, where CT scans showed further complications. She was transferred to Hull Royal Infirmary for surgery to have a plate fitted in her pelvis on Wednesday.
“They operated on her on Wednesday and unfortunately for her they've had to put a plate in. They've told her no weight-bearing for six weeks, so she'll need a chair to get about,” reported Bell's agent Richard Hale.
He added, “They have told her, though, if she can put one leg on the floor on Friday they might let her out. Who knows how long she'll be out for. The most important thing first is she gets back on her feet.”
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