Injured Cambridge jumps racing legend Ken Browne has started to talk for the first time since a May 1 fall from a horse on his Pukekura property left him paralysed.
Browne had been silent and confined to hospital beds for most of the time since the fall, but now he is spending more time in his wheelchair.
He will remain at Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch for a couple more months and his wife, Ann, is making the trip to be with him for four days each week.
"He can't talk much, but it's better than nothing," she said from his bedside yesterday.
"And it was great to see him in his wheelchair twice today. He got a bit of a wheel round outside and got to visit a few places he hasn't seen since arriving here.
"They think he might get to spend a lot of time in his wheelchair in a couple of weeks, which is great news."
Browne is almost certain to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. But as he spends more time in the chair he gets closer to the time when he can come home, his wife said - though that's still likely to be a couple of months away.
Now that he is in Christchurch, Ann Browne is spending most of her week away from her stable.
She still directs what goes on, but the hands-on work is left to her staff.
She won't even head to the prestigious Wellington Steeplechase day at Trentham today, where she and her husband have five chances in the two main jumps races, the $30,000 Wellington Hurdles and the $45,000 Wellington Steeplechase.
"I've done all I can. It's up to the horses now and I'll watch it from here," she said.
- NZPA
Racing: Jumps maestro wheeling around
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