A top dressage rider who was left in a wheelchair after a horrific accident caused by out of control dogs has won £500,000 in damages.
Melissa Smith, a former international grand prix competitor, was riding her horse along a bridlepath in Surrey when two dogs being walked off the lead by a professional dog walker suddenly spooked her mare - causing it to rear up and fall on top of her.
The devastating incident left the 40-year-old with a broken pelvis, broken back and serious head injury, and she had to be airlifted to hospital where doctors warned her the injuries were life-threatening.
The terrifying fall left her unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair for months but determined Melissa battled back through multiple surgeries and two years of grueling rehab, and has even managed to get back in the saddle.
Now, after a lengthy legal fight, she's been awarded half a million pounds in compensation and a court ruling which could have serious implications for dog walkers across the country.
