Beatriz Ferrer-Salat Back in the Saddle after Pelvis Fracture

Thu, 05/28/2020 - 17:47
Spain
Beatriz Ferrer-Salat back in the saddle and here on the canter track with Rosini at her Villa Equus in Barcelona :: Photo © Lily Forado

Beatriz Ferrer-Salat, Spain's most successful dressage rider to date, is back in the saddle after fracturing her pelvis in a riding accident on 24 January 2020. 

On Friday 24 January 2020 Spanish Olympian Beatriz Ferrer-Salat sustained two fractures in her pubic and tail bone after falling off a horse which spooked and bolted during a hack. At the Hospital de Sant Pau, she was operated on to stabilize the pubic fracture six days later.

Ferrer-Salat has been recovering with rest and physiotherapy. After a short time in a wheel chair, she was able to walk again with crutches, slowly improving her mobility and flexibility. 

One week ago Beatriz returned to the Sant Pau hospital for another check up and received the "all clear" to slowly start riding again. 

"I had a check-up with Dr de Caso, the doctor who operated on me on January 29. The x-rays turned out very well, everything has healed superbly, so I can ride again and do whatever I want. Such good news," Bea reported. 

Ferrer-Salat expressed explicit gratitude for the Spanish health care system which has been overwhelmed amidst the corona pandemic, yet was able to provide excellent treatment and follow-up for non-covid cases at the same time. 

"I want to thank the fantastic work of Dr. de Caso and his team of surgeons and all the nurses who took such good care of me while I was admitted to the Hospital de Sant Pau. In addition to his great professionalism, I want to highlight the kindness with which everyone has treated me. In Spain we have excellent healthcare, both public and private. The entire community has come together and makes an effort in this tricky and hard situation that we live in now."

The postponement of the 2020 Olympics due to Covid-19 has been serendipity for Beatriz, who was short-listed for the Spanish Olympic team. Her injury jeopardized her Tokyo plans, but the postponement have now given her extra time to recover as well as trainer her young Grand Prix horse Elegance. 

Bea will only slowly pick up riding with one or two horses per day

"I really want to recover the feeling and prepare my body for increasingly intense training," she said. "At the moment I am going to ride in walk and progressively in canter and finally at a trot, no more than one horse a day. I will see how my body responds and from there I will increase the time and intensity."

Photo © Lily Forado

Related Links
Ferrer-Salat Successfully Operated on after Riding Accident
Beatriz Ferrer-Salat Fractures Pelvis, Tokyo Goal Potentially In Jeopardy