Equestrian-Australian Olympic hopeful Rose badly injured in fall

FILE PHOTO: Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Equestrian - Eventing - Jumping Individual - Final - Equestrian Park - Tokyo, Japan - August 2, 2021. Shane Rose of Australia on his horse Virgil competes. REUTERS/Molly Darlington/File Photo

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's three-times Olympic medallist Shane Rose was seriously injured in a heavy fall this week that could end his hopes of competing in a fourth Summer Games in Paris this year.

The 50-year-old team eventer and his horse Virgil all but secured qualification for the Olympics by winning an event in New Zealand last weekend but fell during a cross-country session on Thursday.

"As the saying goes peacock one day, feather duster the next!" his team said in a Facebook post on Friday.

"Thankfully his horse was not injured in the fall. Shane is currently in ICU with a badly broken femur and a fractured pelvis and ribs. He also suffered a heavy concussion. Shane had surgery this morning to stabilize the femur and pelvis."

Rose, who made waves by wearing a "mankini" at a show-jumping event last month, has twice qualified for the Olympics but been unable to compete.

In 1996, his horse went lame on arrival in the United States for the Atlanta Olympics, and in 2012, his mount All Luck suffered a shoulder injury which prevented him from competing at the London Games.

Rose has also battled his way back from several serious injuries to himself over his career, including a kick to the face from a horse in 2006 that left him in a medically-induced coma for a week.

"While the timing is unfortunate we are hopeful there is adequate time for him to recover and still be able to continue his preparation schedule for the Paris Olympics Games," his team said.

Despite his past misfortune, Rose won team silver medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2021 Tokyo Olympics as well as a bronze in Rio in 2016.

Rose's ambitions to compete in Paris were also jeopardised last month when he was stood down after a complaint was made to Equestrian Australia (EA) about him wearing a G-string inspired by the comedy film "Borat" at a fancy dress event.

EA, though, cleared him of a breach of their code of conduct.

The eventing competition at this year's Olympics will take place at Versaille from July 27 to 29.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Tom Hogue)