Australia's most successful international endurance rider and KER-sponsored equestrian, Meg Wade was presented with the Against All Odds Award, a special recognition given by the FEI in recognition of Meg's struggle back from a devastating and career-changing head injury in 2009.

Meg spent 30 days in a coma and six weeks in intensive care after falling from her horse. Meg's accident left her with permanent brain injuries, with doctors concluding at the time that she may never ride again. Despite the grave prognosis, Meg was determined to get back in the saddle. In 2010, Meg rode in her favorite event, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup. She rode five kilometres of the event, which allowed her to maintain a very important promise to herself: to not let a near-fatal accident keep her out of the saddle.

Amongst her many accomplishments, Meg has three team World Championship bronze medals, has been named Australia's Endurance Rider of the Year nine times, and has won the Tom Quilty Gold Cup four times. Currently, Meg and her partner run Castlebar Endurance Arabians, where they take great pride in breeding and producing internationally competitive endurance horses. Meg said, "Feeding is a major part of the management, so this is where we use KER's expertise."

The annual award night of the FEI General Assembly was held on 15 November in Rio de Janeiro. The FEI recognizes people who have achieved various milestones and made contributions in all FEI equine-related activities, not related to rankings or point scores.

One such award is "Against All Odds," given this year to Meg Wade. Meg is an endurance rider whose ongoing determination has enabled her to overcome many obstacles to reach her goals. Her inspirational story about her road to recovery after suffering a traumatic brain injury inspired the judging panel and made her a worthy recipient of this prestigious award.

Meg is also a keen supporter of KER and utilises many KER supplements in her horses' diets.

KER-sponsored rider Meg Wade is one of the most winning endurance riders of all time. In addition to many successes in international competitions, she is the only rider to win the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, held annually in Australia, on four occasions, most recently in 2008.

After a life-threatening riding accident in 2009, a courageous and determined Meg is once again interacting with the horses she loves and admires at her Castlebar Endurance Arabians, located in northeastern Victoria, southern Australia.

Meg was recently featured on Australian television. The segment includes comments by individuals that were critical in assisting Meg during the days immediately following her accident, as well as the people she continues to derive support from daily, including her husband Chris Gates and key members of the Castlebar team. As her recovery progresses, Meg hopes to one day compete again.

Learn more about Meg Wade's empire and Castlebar Endurance Arabians.

International endurance riding star Meg Wade suffered a severe head injury when she fell during a competition in April. She is undergoing physical therapy at a rehabilitation facility where her speech, strength, and coordination continue to improve daily. Meg's family and staff continue to operate Castlebar Endurance Arabians, the 3000-acre property owned by Meg and Chris Gates. The operation's horses and riders have had outstanding results in recent competitions including the Upper Murray Challenge, where horses bred and trained at Castlebar claimed 5 of the top 8 spots in the 120-km endurance ride. Meg is sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research Australasia.

Meg Wade has made Australian endurance riding history by taking a fourth win in the prestigious annual Tom Quilty endurance ride held in Nanango Queensland. This year's win aboard China Doll has further emphasized Meg's dominance of this event with each of her four wins being taken out in partnership with four different horses. Meg and China Doll found themselves 45minutes behind the leader and made up enough ground to take the win by 5 minutes. Meg Wade and Chris Gates have been breeding and training internationally competitive endurance horses for the past 20 years under the Castlebar banner. China Doll has been carefully brought along by Meg to reach international stardom and will go on to compete in the World Endurance Championships later this year in Malaysia. To top off a sensational weekend China Doll was awarded Best Conditioned horse and the Castlebar team won the overall teams event. .

Meg Wade and China Doll

After their forced break from competition, due to the Australian EI situation, Meg Wade and the team from Castlebar were back to their winning ways at the recent Walwa CEI 2*/3* ride.

Meg Wade rode a World Cup qualifying time of 9:14:33 to take the honours on her long time partner China Doll over the 160km 3* course. Backing up Meg's 3* win, she also took out the 2* aboard Castlebar Balik. Of the 17 completions in the 2* competition, an incredible six of the 17 horses were bred by Castlebar.

KER would like to wish Meg Wade and all of the Castlebar connections great success in their preparation for the 12th FEI World Endurance Championships to be held in Terengganu, Malaysia from the 6-9 November 2008.

The Castlebar team, headed by Meg Wade, are continuing to show their dominance within the Australian endurance world. After returning from Europe following her brilliant ride in the 29th World Equestrian Games, and their 5th place in the 160km FEI ride in Monpazier (France), Meg went on to again become the Australian Endurance Riders Association leading rider for 2006, winning by an incredible 40 points.

The Castlebar team recently achieved some great results at the 160km*** Nanango FEI Endurance Ride where Kristy McGaffin and her horse, Magic Glenn Romy, completed the ride in great style and were further rewarded by winning the prestigious Best Conditioned Horse narrowly beating her menotor, Meg Wade and Balik, awarded second. Meg Wade had a sensational ride until part way round the course when disaster struck, Balik threw a shoe. The pair had to stop mid way and wait to be re-shod before continuing. Although having lost precious time, they were not deterred by the set-back and still managed to finish a credible 5th along with achieving an FEI qualifying time.