Princess takes a tumble

Press, 26 July 1976, Page 3

Princess takes a tumble

NZPA Rromont Princess Anne suffered a mild concussion when she was thrown from her horse on Saturday but a Royal fam. ily spokesman said it appeared she would be able to compete in Olympic equestrian events today. United Press International reported ; The 25-year-old Princess (was knocked flat for five min utes before she was able to i (remount her horse. Goodwill, (and complete the 17-mile (cross-country course, made (slippery and treacherous be drizzling showers. A spokesman for Queen Elizabeth, who was on the course but did not see the fall, said the Princess suf [ jfered bruises to the right arm (and right cheek, j “The Princess was mtldlx (concussed when she fell at [jump 19," the spokesman [ [said. I “There seems to be no reason why she should not compete tomorrow.” ( Another spokesman said [that after medical examina-i tion by both the Queen's physician and the British equestrian team’s doctor there was no indication the Princess had suffered any additional injury to a vertebra [cracked by a training accident in April. I The Queen, watching the race amid a milling crowd, (nodded briefly when she received word of Anne's spill and continued watching other riders in the endurance test of the equestrian events. The Princess went down at [the nineteenth hurdle of the [36-obstacJe course when her 'horse apparently mired in a [muddy take-off strip and [snagged on the zig-zagged (fence, pitching the Princess (forward. i Flat on her back, the Prin[cess hung on to the reins, [preventing the horse from [bolting. | From the twenty-fourth ob- [ [stacle. members of the Royal [ [Household had binoculars 'trained on Princess Anne [when she fell. They waited [for her to remount. I But when the Queen's [ [lady-in-waiting, Mary Morri-1 .son, said. “She’s still down,; [she can’t get up,” the Queen’s; [physician (Captain Philip Ful-| [ford) began racing across the (hilly terrain towards her as [an "ambulance sped in from: [another direction. ; Before the doctor or the; [ambulance reached her — ( ,[about four to five minutes — [Princess Anne was re[mounted but still looking [wobbly three hurdles further '.ion. i She rode six inches off her ; : saddle when she cleared a three hurdle water jump at j the twenty-fourth obstacle,: where her father waited anxi- [ lously at a radio communica-| tions centre. As the Princess flashed by, I still high in the siddle. he; leaped into a white four- [ wheel-drive vehicle and sped I to meet her at the finish line.; Prince Philip returned with, Princess Anne to a home (where Queen Elizabeth and! [her three sons had gathered [ (for lunch.