Bubby Upton

It was the afternoon of 18 August when Bubby’s horse reared up suddenly and caused Bubby to fall off backwards. The full weight of her horse landed on top of Bubby and she sustained multiple injuries. East Anglian Air Ambulance’s Cambridge crew were tasked to bring advanced skills, equipment and medicine directly to Bubby’s side, in the fastest time possible, as she lay injured in the field.

The equipment carried by the charity’s helicopters and critical care cars enables enhanced care at the incident scene – when the patient needs it most. This includes blood transfusions, advanced pain relief, sedation and anaesthesia, and even surgical interventions.

The flight time from Cambridge to the scene of Bubby’s incident was just 16 minutes. The East Anglian Air Ambulance helicopter landed safely in a nearby field and the crew of Dr Julie, Critical Care Paramedic Sally, and Supervising Doctor Claire, were at Bubby’s side just two minutes later, working with the ambulance service to provide her with critical care.

The crew completed a primary survey before administering advanced pain relief to help make Bubby as comfortable as possible. The full severity of Bubby’s injuries was not yet known so the medical team fitted her with a binder to keep her pelvis still and placed her in c-spine blocks to keep her neck stable to minimise the risk of further injuries on the journey to hospital.

The East Anglian Air Ambulance crew accompanied Bubby to Addenbrooke’s Hospital by land ambulance. At Addenbrooke’s, she learned she had fractures to L2 and L4 and underwent seven hours of surgery. There was a long road ahead but, with the support of the Injured Jockey Fund, Bubby tackled her recovery and rehabilitation with incredible determination.

Incredibly, she was able to compete again in March 2024, and took part in the Badminton Horse Trials in May. Not only that but she and her beloved horse, Cola III, were leaders after the first day.

From road traffic collisions to cardiac arrests to medical emergencies, East Anglian Air Ambulance’s specialist doctors, critical care paramedics and pilots bring advanced skills, equipment and medicine – normally only found in a specialist emergency department – directly to the patient’s side. This, combined with quick onward transfer to the most appropriate hospital, gives every patient treated, like Bubby, the best possible chance of surviving and recovering a life-threatening medical or trauma emergency.