Southern horsewoman Samantha Wynne is recuperating in Christchurch Hospital after sustaining serious head injuries in a horse-related incident on Saturday morning.

Wynne, who relocated to New Zealand from her native Ireland more than a decade ago, has made Canterbury home, where she has been a successful jockey and trainer.

She had enjoyed a memorable season, highlighted by three stakes victories with Pivotal Ten, who she rode in the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie in March.

As she does on a regular basis, the 36-year-old had taken a team of horses into the track on Saturday but can’t recall anything further after she was kicked in the head and taken to hospital where she underwent surgery for a fractured skull and badly damaged ear.

Her family, friends and colleagues were relieved to hear from Wynne on Monday after a couple of days resting in hospital.

“I’ve been in hospital for the last couple of days and I’m feeling a little bit better this morning,” she said.

“I can’t really remember what happened but the girls filled me in. One of the 2-year-old fillies wouldn’t walk into the tie-ups and she ran backwards and kicked me in the head. It pretty much took my ear off and I’ve got a fractured skull.

“I was knocked out for about five or six minutes and apparently when the ambulance came I was fighting them because I didn’t want to go to the hospital. Once they got me in, they gave me some good painkillers and I went into surgery that night.

“I got my ear sewed back on; they removed fragments out of the fractures and pulled a bone out of my head. They had to make sure I had no brain injuries, and I’m very lucky that I don’t think I have. There is just a lot of swelling, but hopefully that will go down and the fracture will heal.

“My partner has spoken to a lot of people and I’ve responded to a couple. I’ve been able to use my phone a little bit more today after being a bit too dizzy over the last couple of days.”

While hoping to be discharged on Monday, Wynne said it is more likely that she’ll be heading home on Tuesday and is grateful to have the support of her staff.

“I was hoping to go home today, but the doctors think it’ll be tomorrow,” she said. “I have to go for a hearing test later on and a couple of other tests as well.

“I just feel upset and frustrated because I don’t know what happened, but I’m grateful for the support I’ve had.

“I’d be lost without the girls, I’m so grateful for them. They’re just the best team that you could have. We’re doing okay.”

The news comes during an extremely tough period for the racing community, with the tragic passing of apprentice jockey Ngakau Hailey last Wednesday, and fellow rider Triston Moodley also recovering from a kick to the head at the Waipa trials last Tuesday.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk