EQUESTRIAN: Belinda's blinder
4:00pm Thursday 30th June 2011 in Latest Sport News By Dan Barnes
DEVIZES para-dressage rider Belinda Cullen’s courageous decision to get back on a horse three years ago proved the right one after she claimed victory in the Para Grade IV Team Long event at the British Para Dressage Championships.
Belinda, 45, who lives in Green Lane with husband Mark and eight-year-old son Jamie, began as an amateur jockey but a freak accident on Recycled at a Larkhill point-to-point meeting in 1988 led to her having to opt to lose her left leg in May 2006.
But after making her para-dressage debut three years ago, Cullen claimed victory at Hickstead on Don Light, finishing almost three per cent higher than her closest competitor with a score of 66.09 per cent.
“I used to do a lot of races and at Larkhill, I jumped a fence but for some reason my horse did a U-turn right back into the oncoming riders,” said Cullen, who has worked as an equine sports massage therapist for 15 years.
“It was a completely freak thing to happen but I obviously fell off and shattered the bones in my heel.
“I was in plaster for a long time and had tons of operations on my leg but I had to take a lot of medication.
“I developed back problems and I couldn’t even pick up my son – eventually I had to make the decision to have it taken off.’’
Cullen, who still receives funding from the Injured Jockeys Fund, added: “A lot of people tried to get me to have a go at dressage but it took a long time to finally give it a try.
“When I got back on a horse, it was really emotional, but I realised I still had my competitive spirit, which I thought I’d lost a long time ago.
“I’ve been doing it seriously for about 18 months now and this is my biggest result so far – I qualified through the other events I’d done this year but after I finished, I had no idea that I’d won.
“I looked at the results and started from the bottom but my name was right at the top.”
Cullen, whose ride Don Light is based at Coral Keen’s stables in Little Cheverell, is looking to forge a career as an eventer and has won a place in the South West British Dressage team for August’s home international.
She is also waiting to hear on selection for her first two-star competition, with a place at next month’s Bishop Burton event in the offing.
