THE rookie first aider who used her newly acquired medical skills to treat a teenage rider knocked unconscious after being catapulted from her horse today shrugged off her role. Jane McQueen, aged 22, who had only recently passed her first aid course at work, came to the rescue after 19-year-old rider Greta Howarth was thrown from her horse and knocked unconscious when she landed head first on a concrete pavement. A St John's ambulance, booked for the day by show organisers Bolton and District Riding Club, failed to turn up, leaving Greta to wait for paramedics to treat injuries including cuts, bruises and a broken collar bone.

But Jane, of King Street, Bromley Cross, Bolton, was quick to comfort Greta, 19, while a large crowd gathered wondering how to help the teenager.

The BEN revealed last night that Jane administered basic first aid including checking for broken bones until an ambulance arrived to take the injured rider to Royal Bolton Hospital.

Today Greta, who was catapulted when her horse bolted in the show ring in Thicketford Road, Breightmet, was still recovering from her ordeal at home in Radcliffe Road, Darcy Lever, Bolton.

Friend Robbie Levett, 27, told the BEN: "Greta's a bit too weak to talk about the accident at the moment and can't remember a thing about it anyway. She's lucky though that her injuries weren't a lot worse."

But Bolton and District Riding Club today praised Jane's actions and explained why no St John's ambulance had been at the monthly riding event which includes jumping.

Secretary Wyn Goodwin said: "Jane did very well. We always book a St John's ambulance, but for some reason it didn't show up. We'll be inquiring as to why it didn't come, but we had other first aiders at the event and I don't think the St John's people could have done much more for Greta anyway."

Modest Jane, who works for the National Westminster Bank in Bolton, told the BEN that she had done nothing special.

"I did what I could in the circumstances," she said. "Anyone else in my position would have tried to help."

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