TREVOR Breen will not require any further spinal surgery following his fall from Highland President in the 1.60m Longines Grand Prix of Hamburg on Saturday, May 11th, a relieved Caroline Breen told The Irish Field on Friday.

The show jumper was taken to hospital, put in an induced coma and subsequently underwent surgery midweek for three fractures of the lower neck and back.

Having originally suggested Trevor may not ride or walk again, news of no further surgery was a huge relief to his wife.

“It’s been pretty tough,” Caroline said. “But we just received amazing news that there would be no benefit to doing further surgery. He does have temporary and minor loss of use in the right hand - hopefully from a spinal chord haematoma - but that should resolve and, if needed, a simple operation will deal with that.

“He does have a lot of fractures and dislocations apart from what has been operated on. They said he is in the 10 per cent who survive this particular break (fracture/dislocation of the C7) and that the dislocation was within 1mm of going through the spine, so is unbelievably lucky. He also broke his C6, C4 and T4. It will take around three months for those to heal, but theoretically he could be back in the saddle by then.

“He is incredibly determined, he is flying up and down the corridors - his number one goal is to be on the team in Dublin. All going well, we will try to fly him home early next week, we are dying to see the children.

“The hospital has been phenomenal - he’s been in the top spinal clinic here, it really has been as good as it could be under the circumstances. We are also hugely grateful to Hamburg show organiser Volker Wulff and his medical team. Shane (Breen) and Chloe have had the children - they’re off to a pony premier show this weekend - and I can’t thank people enough for the outpouring of support, we are so grateful.

“We know there will be a lot of bad days ahead, but with right mindset, it can be done.”

Highland President, Caroline confirmed, was treated with a few stitches for a superficial cut and is otherwise uninjured.