Cariad Miles-Taylor from King's Lynn was third in the BE100 at Little Downham Horse Trials – despite lying in hospital only six weeks prior to the event.

On April 24, while schooling her young horse, Cariad suffered a life threatening fall when her horse rotated after a fence.

'It was horrendous,' recalled her mother, Stacey. 'She was just squashed beneath the horse.

'Then, when the horse got up he used her head to push himself up. We took her hat to be examined after the accident and he had completely broken it in two.'

Despite her horrific ordeal, Cariad had suffered just a broken pelvis and stayed in hospital for three days.

Stacey is adamant it was her Point-Two air jacket that saved her daughter's life, adding: 'She now wears it all the time. When we go to events she is the only one wearing it in the showjumping, but I think it's so important.'

Cariad and her mount Midnight Warrior now head for Stratford Hills BE100 U18 class, where they hope to qualify for the team. Stacey describes Warrior as 'The naughtiest pony you can imagine!'

Other winners over the weekend included Toby Bancroft from Bury St Edmunds. He scored a fantastic 21.5 in the dressage to win the BE100 Plus on his seven-year-old Donnerstag.

Toby says dressage is Donnerstag forte, saying: 'I bought him at a German dressage auction when he was three, it was just luck that he could jump too.

'He hasn't been as confident cross country but with time he has become a lot braver.'

The pair now move up to Novice level and Toby hopes to enter Houghton one star next year.

Madeleine Taylor (Ipswich), on Billy Black Jack, conquered the Open Novice class.

The 15.3hh gelding by Vechta only added 2.8 time penalties to a brilliant dressage of 29. Madeleine then went on to be runner up in the Open Novice Under -18 class with Billy Crackle.

The course designed by Tina Ure, Jonathan Clissold and Phillip Herbert had a re-vamp this year, by going in the opposite direction, and the dressage, showjumping and tradestand area was moved from its original location.

Ludwig Svennerstal, Olympic team rider for Sweden, claimed the advanced class On King Bob, who will now head to Luhmühlen four star.

In the Intermediate sections Brook Staples took section C, Sophie Freeman section B and Alex Postolowsky section A.