Horse rider recovering from serious injuries after incident with motorbikes in Wigan borough

Police shared photographs last week of two people they want to speak to about the distressing incident of dangerous driving on Bee Fold Lane, Atherton, last month.

Now, 27-year-old Shannon Taylor has spoken about what happened as she continues to recover at her home in Hindsford.

Shannon was riding 13-year-old horse Splodge from a farm at around 1pm on Sunday, February 25 and noticed the sound of dirt bikes as they went along Millers Lane.

They continued on the bridleway to Bee Fold Lane, towards a fishing pond, and she could see riders’ helmets “bobbing up and down” as they moved “at some speed”.

Shannon said: “I positioned my horse out of the way and stayed stationary, thinking they would slow down. They usually slow down or turn their motorbikes off.

"They did slow down. The one at the front was a reddish small pit bike. He looked at me and my horse and revved the engine and so my horse got jittery. Before I could say or do anything or dismount, he got a bit closer, maybe two or three metres from my horse, and started revving it.

"My horse just bolted. It did a 180-degree spin and I hit the fence at a gallop.

"I was on the floor. I saw my horse just gallop off. I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to stand up. Within those 30 seconds, the bikes had driven off, leaving me on the floor.”

Three passers-by came to Shannon’s aid, helping her to retrieve Splodge, and she phoned friends to ask them to come to help her.

She had to be taken to Royal Bolton Hospital by ambulance, where she spent six days being treated for four broken ribs, two broken vertebrae, grade-two liver damage, bruised kidneys and an air pocket between her lung and chest which contained a blood clot.

It could take around eight weeks for her broken bones and damaged liver to heal, meaning Shannon has been forced to take time off from her job as deputy manager at Aldi in Leigh to recuperate.

She is being supported at home by her boyfriend, while her friends are caring for Splodge while she is injured.

Shannon has encountered motorbike riders previously, but said the majority were “quite respectful” and nothing like this has happened before.

She said: “I’m not going to let them stop me from doing what is my passion, but I am going to be extra conscious and if I do see a bike, maybe dismount. It’s definitely something I love doing.

"They are going out to do what they want, but I can’t do that because I can’t control the animal’s mind. I am banking on other people being respectful and having common sense so I am able to enjoy it.”

Police investigating the incident have not yet made any arrests and have been carrying out high-visibility patrols in the area.

They continue to appeal for witnesses to help them establish what happened. Anyone with information can call police on 101, quoting incident 2379 of February 27, or go to the force’s website.