Top British Show Jumper John Whitaker Suffers Cerebral Hemorrhage

The celebrated British showjumping rider John Whitaker collapsed on Friday morning in his hotel room during the Stockholm Horse Show (CSI-A) in Sweden. After being transported to hospital in critical condition, he is now stable.

John Whitaker, who formed a formidable partnership with the famous great grey horse 'Milton', and who has been among the showjumping elite for the past 20 years, was the victim of a ruptured aneurism in Sweden. The 45 year-old was transported as an emergency to a hospital in Uppsala, where he could be placed on an artificial respirator. A statement subsequently announced that the rider has been taken out of intensive care and that his condition had improved very slightly. John is still critically ill and the collapse was was apparently due to a ruptured artery.

John's son Robert and daughter Louise were also competing at the Stockholm Show while his younger brother Michael (40)received the disturbing news during the Paris-Bercy Horse Show. However, upon hearing that John was out of his coma and was able to speak and move again, Michael went on to win the Prix BMW class in Paris on Handel II, snatching the victory from American Katie Monahan-Prudent and Mr. Blue.

Source: British Show Jumping Association
Image copyrighted: Arnd Bronkhorst