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Australian Dressage
News
Sad Retirement for Australian Dressage Rider Maurice
Bruce
February 6, 2008
 Highly respected Australian Maurice Bruce has been
forced to retire from riding following an assessment
of a recent head injury
by his medical advisors. Maurice suffered a Traumatic
Brain Injury at a Dressage Competition in April 2007
when his horse slipped and
fell throwing him to the ground where he lay unconscious
until airlifted to St. George Hospital. He remained
in a life and death coma for two weeks before finally
regaining consciousness.
The road back to health has been a long, however after
many months of intense rehabilitation his improvement
has been excellent and over the past few weeks Maurice
has ridden several times at his indoor arena in Berry:
recently requesting clearance from his medical advisors
prior to recommencing his competitive career.
The verdict
was final and devastating: another head trauma could
be fatal and he should never ride again.
Brain trauma is accumulative and this was not the
first time he had been ‘knocked out’, there
had been other occasions. As a young man he played
1st grade Rugby Union for Gordon, playing 42 first
grade games before he was 21 and was listed as an Australian
Rugby Representative to play South Africa in 1966.
Between football and riding he has been taken to hospital,
unconscious, 5 times. This most recent incident has
spelt the end of an illustrious riding career and if
ignored could very well end his life.
Maurice remains shattered by the findings: a former
Pharmacist, for the past 27 years he and his wife Jane
have built their lives around their own Neversfelde
Stud: breeding, training and competing at the top level
on Warmblood horses they have produced.
A highly respected
rider both here and internationally, Maurice has a
long list of awards to his name which
include 3 time winner of the Volvo Australasian World
Cup Dressage Championships, World Equestrian Games
representative for Australia & a string of National
titles including Australian Eventing Champion.
Press release from Shoalhaven Dressage Association.
Related Links
2005 Australian Dressage Championships
Australian Dressage Squads for 2006 Announced
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