Kelly vows to get back in saddle soon after ‘real fright’ in riding accident

Published on Thursday 23 February 2012 01:36

TV PRESENTER Lorraine Kelly said yesterday that she suffered a “real fright” when she fell from a horse, which then stamped on her leg.

The ITV star, 52, was rushed to hospital by ambulance after losing a lot of blood in the accident, which happened while she was training for a modern pentathlon she was taking part in for the charity Piggy Bank Kids.

She underwent surgery at St George’s Hospital in London, on Tuesday night for a deep thigh wound. She later Tweeted that she was to remain in hospital last night and it would take “around four weeks” for her injuries to heal. But she vowed to be back on the show before then.

The Scottish star was replaced on the ITV1 show yesterday morning by Helen Fospero,

Kelly said yesterday: “I got a real fright, but the treatment by the NHS has been fantastic and I have been looked after very well. I will be on crutches for a few weeks.”

The star was training at a riding school in Surrey for the pentathlon, which was due to take place at the University of Bath today, which would have seen her compete alongside Sarah Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown in events including riding, fencing, swimming, running and shooting.

During her second lesson for the riding discipline she fell while approaching a jump.

She wrote on Twitter that she was “a bit bruised and battered but fine. Unfortunately the horse stamped on my thigh. As a result – deep wound and lots of blood.”