Head injury victim Harriet Bethell aiming to raise £25,000 with Pontefract walk

Harriet Bethell, who was left fighting for her life after suffering serious head injuries in a fall, is to walk Pontefract racecourse in October in a bid to raise £25,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund.

She suffered multiple bleeds on the brain, spent six weeks in a coma and nine months in various hospitals after the accident, which happened on the gallops in August 2019.

Completing a lap of one of the stiffest tracks in the country will be a challenge for Bethell, a successful rider and trainer who is still undergoing physiotherapy as she tries to rebuild her life. But she is determined to repay the organisation that has done so much to help her recovery.

"If we didn't have the IJF behind us, my rehab wouldn't have been so extensive," she said.

Bethell, whose father William took over the licence at their yard in East Yorkshire after her fall, will walk round Pontefract on the morning of their final meeting of the season on October 18.

Explaining the choice of venue, she said: "It's sentimental to me because on the day of my accident we trained a winner round there, I rode and trained a few winners there. Dad's very involved and [clerk of the course] Norman Gundill is a superstar."

Pontefract is more than two miles round with an uphill finish over the final three furlongs, but Bethell said: "I'll probably take a five-minute break to reboot and pluck up the courage for the last half. The second half is the tougher part.

"My walking is coming along, though probably not as much as I would like. I'm training two or three times a week in preparation for the walk. I can do probably up to a mile and a quarter without a break."

Harriet Bethell: spent nine months in various hospitals after the accidentCredit: Harriet Bethell

Bethell's brain injury meant she has had to re-learn how to do the simplest of tasks and she said: "It's a long process and I'm doing one session of physio a week.

"We do things like sweeping, raking, wheelbarrow-pushing and putting bridles and head collars on and I've also been walking up and down the ramp with her. She's an absolute legend - and as she's horsey herself, she's a perfect fit for me.

"I have to re-learn how to do everything. I'm making progress but I feel like such a twit when I'm struggling with a head collar. I've been doing it all my life but I get my fingers in a tangle."

Counselling has also been part of the recovery process and Bethell has had several chats with fellow head-injury victim George Baker.

"He's been like a mentor to me and he's been really helpful," she said. "I pick his brains about how long things can take, though it's hard to put a timescale on it. I asked if he ever went to pieces as it's something I can really struggle with mentally."

Donations to support Harriet Bethell's Pontefract course walk can be made at

Former owner Rob Lloyd reached a notable landmark in his effort to raise £100,000 for charity Sense, which helps those with complex disabilities, when riding round Musselburgh.

Rob Lloyd rides round Musselburgh to complete another challengeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Skydiving and SAS training are other activities on his year-long list of activities and Musselburgh chief executive Bill Farnsworth said on Wednesday: "One of his challenges was to ride around a racecourse so he got a three-year-old from Richard Fahey.

"We let him gallop round after racing and he did it very well. He went past £50,000 yesterday and his target is £100,000."

Read the full story behind Harriet Bethell's recovery:

Trainer Harriet Bethell in intensive care after suffering head injuries in fall

Harriet Bethell has successful operation after serious head injury

'Small steps of progress' for injured trainer Harriet Bethell after fall

Harriet Bethell 'talking sense and remembering lots' after horror fall

Harriet Bethell 'making really good progress' and moved to specialist hospital

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