Olympian Shane Rose on horror days since his shocking fall

Shane Rose had just qualified for a fourth Olympics when a shocking fall left him with multiple broken bones and no memory.

Three-time Olympic equestrian medallist Shane Rose has spoken about the dark days that followed a shocking recent riding accident.

The 50-year-old, who had just qualified for his fourth Olympic Games earlier this month, has no memory of the fall on March 14 that left him in hospital with horrific injuries.

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Rose woke up in intensive care to learn he had broken his femur, had “three or four fractures” in his pelvis, “six or eight” broken ribs, a broken elbow and a heavy concussion that resulted in memory loss.

“He wasn’t quite sure who he was or where he was or what year it was or what date it was when it happened,” his wife and fellow eventing rider Niki Rose told A Current Affair on Monday.

Immediately after his recovery, Rose was quickly asking what had happened and how long remains until the Paris Games in July.

Shane Rose in hospital and during competition. Photos: Instagram/Facebook

But he has very little memory of the day itself.

“I remember, not much,” he told the Channel 9 program. “I remember riding the horses in the morning, vaguely remember that, not that anything overly exciting happened.

“Apparently I rode four of my more experienced horses and I have no recollection of jumping any of them or how it happened.

“The ambulance trip, getting to the hospital, talking to doctors, nothing.”

There were two witnesses that heard the accident and believe the horse he was riding, called Bandit, clipped a jump and must have fallen onto him, considering his injuries

“Two people heard it, because he hit the jump quite hard,” Niki said. “And one of the girls looked in that direction and saw the horse coming back and the horse was fine.”

It all came nearly exactly a month after Rose was briefly stood down after a formal complaint was lodged over his decision to wear a Borat-style Mankini in a fancy dress event.

A post on Instagram of Rose and that mankini.

Rose recalls his injuries with wife Niki. Photo: Channel 9

That was stressful enough as it threatened his Olympic participation before he was cleared, but the New South Welshman stated that obviously paled in comparison to his current plight.

“Bit of fun, bit of fun and look I think that’s me a bit,” he said of the mankini incident. “My nature is enjoy life.

“I certainly felt less consequences, although at the time it did have some potential implications.

“But certainly the first few days when I was in hospital when I was pretty average, I had some pretty negative thoughts.

“Not being able to get away from the situation and the pain and frustration that I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t roll over. I tried to get the nurse to help me try and lie on my side and that was excruciating.

He is hopeful of recovering in time for Paris. Photo: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

“I just broke down really. But it’s been good, the next morning I had a shower which was great. It’s amazing, a little shower can make you feel so much better.

“I was bashing myself around the head for a bit but I had a quick chat to Niki and worked it out. Felt a lot better afterwards actually.”

Asked if he would have any fear riding again, Rose replied: “I don’t think so. I can’t remember it so I don’t think I’ll have fear from it.”

Rose won silver medals at the Beijing and Tokyo Olympics, along with a bronze from Rio in 2016.

He remains hopeful of recovering in time to represent Australia at a fourth Games.

When he was reminded of the medals he has won to date, his wife quipped “there’s one missing” as he is yet to win Olympic gold.

Originally published as Olympian Shane Rose on horror days since his shocking fall