New Zealand’s Bruce Goodin, former equestrian Olympian, suffers broken neck vertebra in showjumping accident

Bruce Goodin rides Danny V at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Photosport

Five-time New Zealand Olympian Bruce Goodin has suffered a broken neck vertebra after coming off his horse at a showjumping event in Sweden last week.

Lining up in the 1.35m class on mare Carmel Fomia Z at the Mantorp Horse Show in Linköping, the horse bolted and Goodin hit the lower barrier with his head.

According to a message written by Goodin and posted on Facebook by long-time friend Jane Burmester, Goodin is in a stable condition and hopes to know soon whether surgery will be required.

“Brice [sic] Goodin has had a nasty fall at a national competition in Sweden Thursday last week in which he broke the C7 vertebrae [sic] in his neck.

“Bruce says ‘he feels extremely fortunate as has not suffered any neurological damage’.

“He is currently in Linköping hospital waiting to be transferred to Lund hospital where the surgeons will make a decision whether or not surgery is necessary to stabilise the break,” the post reads.

Burmester told the Herald Goodin was in “a good place” mentally.

“He’s very strong, being an Olympian, strong mentally. We’re just really in the holding pen at the moment, they’d like to get him transferred safely down to Lund ... at the moment the good news is that he’s alive.”

In further good news, the mare is reported to be in good shape as Burmester described the incident as a “nothing fall” but, as happens in equestrian, freak accidents do occur.

Goodin competed in the showjumping at the Tokyo Olympics, riding Danny V, but did not advance to the finals stage in the individual or team events. It was his fifth Olympics, having made his debut at the 1992 Barcelona Games. He was a member of the New Zealand team who claimed their first FEI Nations Cup showjumping win in Abu Dhabi in 2018.

He grew up on a dairy farm in the village of Te Kauwhata in the Waikato. His father is the legendary eventing and showjumper David Goodin, and the love for horses came early.

Eventually, Goodin moved to Europe and is now based in Sweden with his wife Ulrika and daughter Elizabeth. After many years working for great people in various places in Europe, they have their own stable. They are building their business around their passion for the sport.

Equestrian New Zealand confirmed the news and hoped to provide more information as it became available.