THE ARENA AND the showjumps within it turn instantaneously from being vividly in focus to a blur. The fences are no longer clearly uprights, fillers and poles to be jumped, but shapes and colours that mix together and become amorphous.
For Laura Goodall, showjumper, the blurring is the first sign that all is not well and, worse, other problems will follow. Just as swiftly as the onset of the blur, her limbs will go numb and jelly-like, meaning that security in the saddle is impossible and, despite super-human efforts, there will soon be a thud as she makes contact with the turf. At this point, her fiery mount, Loretti K (Nessa), will canter off towards the collecting ring, reins and stirrups flying loose.
During 2014, the blurring, numbness and tumbles…