Hurtling along on a horse at 30mph and being buffeted and bumped by rivals swirling 52in long mallets is not a place for the frail or faint-hearted, but Fran Townend relishes the heat of battle.
She charges clear of the thrashing crowd and gallops to score another goal to underline her selection to the England women’s polo squad.
But none of this should ever have been possible after Fran was left for dead in a devastating road accident.
