GALLERY A popular horse show was temporarily halted while an air ambulance landed to take an injured rider to hospital.

Richard Smith

A POPULAR horse show was temporarily halted while an air ambulance landed to take an injured rider to hospital.

The show rings at the Framlingham Horse Show had to be cleared of animals, riders and spectators when the drama occurred.

The East Anglian Air Ambulance took the young girl, who has not been named, to the James Paget Hospital with a compound fracture of a leg.

The incident occurred when she was competing at the show on Saturday and fell off her horse at a jump at the showground next to Framlingham Castle.

This was one of two incidents which occurred within minutes of each other at the show.

The show organisers had called for an ambulance when a man fainted and, as the ambulance was on its way, they had to make another emergency call when the rider fell.

Mark Donsworth, show director, said yesterday: “We were having an excellent show until we had a man faint and the young girl fell off with a nasty injury.

“We had called for an ambulance and then three minutes later we had to call for another ambulance but then the first ambulance called for the air ambulance before the other arrived.

“We had to stop the show for between 30 and 45 minutes while the ambulance landed in a ring. We had to clear the site which included moving all the Suffolk horses.''

Mr Donsworth praised the ambulance crews for their efficiency in dealing with the two incidents and he also praised the stewards for coping with the situation.

This was the 114th occasion the show was held and after the day's event the showgoers enjoyed live music at the castle.