L aura Collett has always been resolute in her pursuits. From the moment she departed school at 16 to the challenges she faced after a life-threatening horse riding accident nine years later, there was never a backup plan. “I was hopeless at everything associated with school, and my single-minded focus was to forge a career in eventing,” she recalls, just days after clinching gold in her sport and bronze in the individual category.
Amid a sea of extraordinary tales of perseverance in the Olympics, Collett’s journey stands out. On paper, her presence in Paris seems improbable; she shouldn’t even be riding again.
She recounts her near-fatal accident in 2013 with a straightforward demeanor. During a typical one-day event, her horse collided with a fence, flipped over, and fell upon her—its 110-stone weight landing squarely on her fragile body. The horse, unharmed, stood up immediately; Collett remained motionless.
En route to the hospital, she underwent five resuscitations and spent six days in an induced coma. Her injuries included a lacerated liver, kidney damage, a fractured shoulder, a punctured lung, and broken ribs. Without the protective air jacket she was wearing, her survival would have been nearly impossible.
Back in her Gloucestershire yard, as she returns to normalcy after the surreal moments at the Chateau de Versailles, the 34-year-old reflects on the hurdles she’s navigated to realize her Olympic aspiration, discussing them as if they were merely another jump to clear. Collett is not nonchalant; she has witnessed friends left paralyzed or worse due to riding mishaps, yet she chooses not to linger on the past.
“I recognize that I was granted a second chance, which many don’t receive,” she states. “But there’s no use in looking back, second-guessing yourself, or speculating about what might have been or what lies ahead—you simply tackle it as it arrives.”
The very day she was discharged from the hospital, permitted to leave only because she had a spot at the Oaksey House rehabilitation center for injured jockeys, she secretly returned home and got back on a horse.
“It was something I needed to do for my own sake, rather than because it was the sensible choice,” she explains. “I had a bit of that stubborn mindset, and I didn’t care… It was something I needed to achieve mentally.”
She resumed competition just six weeks and six days post-accident. For months, her depth perception was compromised, making jumps appear as if they were moving as she approached them. “Fortunately, fences are quite large,” she notes. “I don’t need to read the fine print on them, so it worked out.”
Collett, who finished ninth in the individual event in Tokyo 2020, felt she had a point to prove in Paris. “I arrived at Tokyo knowing I could secure an individual medal, but things went awry, and a lot went wrong. This time was about redemption for me,” she explains.
Over three days of eventing—a discipline likened to an equine triathlon—Collett and her teammates Tom McEwen and Ros Canter exhibited remarkable composure to ascend the podium’s pinnacle.
“As a team, our singular objective was to take home the gold,” she emphasizes. “We knew we could and should achieve it, but we also understood that with horses, plans can unravel swiftly.”
In the unique realm of eventing, Collett’s narrative is distinctive. Growing up without her father, she and her brother were raised solely by their mother. “My mom worked two jobs… it’s been challenging for everyone,” she says. “Fortunately, I have a wonderfully supportive mother.”
Did she ever feel like an outsider in an arena populated by horses worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and renowned families? “Absolutely, but that just fueled my determination to prove others wrong,” she responds. “I was acutely aware of it. The path wasn’t straightforward; sacrifices were made, and many tears were shed, but I always aimed to make it happen. I found a way.”
With her medal-winning horse London 52—affectionately referred to as Dan when at home—now enjoying a well-deserved break in the pasture, relishing the occasional pink lady apple as a reward, Collett returns to her routine of training younger horses.
She acknowledges that her team’s event was set against the backdrop of one of the most significant controversies in British equestrianism, following the release of a video showcasing dressage star Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse 24 times.
Collett denounces the behavior, labeling the video “shocking and devastating.” However, similar to Dujardin’s mentor Carl Hester, she encourages critics to contemplate the feelings and mental wellbeing of the banned rider: “Those launching a witch hunt should first reflect on their actions. Can they genuinely say they’ve never made a mistake?”
The scandal has raised significant concerns about the future of the sport, with some advocates questioning whether equestrian events should continue to be included in the Olympics. She admits to her worries. “Naturally, it would be naive not to have concerns about it,” she admits. “Yet I hope the positivity we manifested highlights that equestrian sport is truly remarkable, with horses being central to all we do. We are acutely aware that without them, we couldn’t pursue our passion.”
And with that, she prepares to get back in the saddle. “Every time something positive occurs, it ignites the drive to replicate that success and savor the experience again,” she reflects. “So now, it’s about nurturing the young horses and hoping that one of them emerges as the next London 52.”
