Canadian para dressage rider Winona "Noni" Hartvikson injured herself in a riding accident at the Thunderbird show park in Langley, BC, at the end of September.
The 64-year old fell off her horse that spooked. She was taken to the local hospital by ambulance where she was diagnosed with a dislocated hip.
"Five degrees in pea soup fog at 08h 30, scary conditions for a youngster at his first big show," she took to Facebook. "After the test, a loud equipment noise spooked him which caused my unscheduled dismount and hip dislocation. Lesson: dismount and put the noise cancelling bonnet back on after the Steward finishes!"
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Hartvikson rides in the Grade I class and has been a Canadian para team member since 2017. She competed at the 2018 World Equestrian Games aboard Ultimo (PRE, by Invasor III x Teodoro), the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo and 2022 World Championships in Herning aboard Onyx (previously named Wolkenhall, by Wolkentanz x Don Bosco). In 2023 she began campaigning a new horse, Cadanza, a Holsteiner by Zhivago x Aljano.
For the 2023 Pacific Regional Dressage Championship at the Thunderbird show park she brought a different ride, the 2016 born AES registered and Friesian bred pinto Geronimo (by Marko x Orlando). Despite the injury Noni's spirits are high.
"These things go with the sport. I'll be back in the saddle in 6 weeks," she said. "Oh, and before the unscheduled dismount, I got a PTC Q score of 68+ percent and was very pleased with his keeping it all together."
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