Irish Olympic rider undergoes 5hr surgery on broken neck

Irish Olympic showjumper Kevin Babington has undergone a five-hour surgery to stabilise his neck after sustaining a serious injury to his cervical spine in a fall at a US event.

The 51-year-old rider was airlifted from the Hampton Classic Horse Show last Friday (3 August) after his top ride Shorapur fell at the third element of a treble during a qualifying round for the CSI4* grand prix. The 14-year-old mare was not injured in the incident.

The Irishman was transferred from Stony Brook University Hospital to the New York University Langone Medical Center in Manhattan earlier this week.

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Article written by: Sarah Radford