The story of how Libberty Hunter recovered from life-threatening drone injury to pick up stunning win at Hereford

BRITAIN’S bravest racehorse has amazingly recovered from life-threatening injuries sustained in a senseless drone attack, and come home a winner. Hard man, Brian Eckley, unashamedly shed a tear when Libberty Hunter, the “best horse” he’s ever trained, cruised past the post at Hereford last week. Two patient years of specialist veterinary treatment had kept the […]

BRITAIN’S bravest racehorse has amazingly recovered from life-threatening injuries sustained in a senseless drone attack, and come home a winner.

Hard man, Brian Eckley, unashamedly shed a tear when Libberty Hunter, the “best horse” he’s ever trained, cruised past the post at Hereford last week.

Two patient years of specialist veterinary treatment had kept the four-year-old gelding alive, and beaten off a deadly infection.

A mystery man was spotted controlling the drone behind a large blackberry bush on a hill 150 yards from the stables in the Brecon National Park.

The drone swept down in mid-afternoon and chased the terrified horse out of the yard and across a field until it stumbled and fell with a severely damaged right foot that quickly turned into a deadly abscess.

Trembling with emotion, a relieved Eckley, 67, is convinced he knows the man who guided the drone into his stable.

 He added: “To see ‘Libby’ win meant so much to me. He’s going to be a very good horse.

“Lots of interested buyers have been on the phone to me after seeing him win, but he’s going nowhere.

“Libby and I have come a long way together, and I couldn’t bare to see him go into someone else’s hands.

“He’s shown great courage. His foot was so numb after the accident that the vet had to drill a hole in it to treat the abscess, which could have killed him.

“My vet said it was touch-and-go, but he got through it, and now he’s rewarded us all.

“When you’ve got a horse that comes through so much shock and pain, it makes you feel just great.

“I think he’s earned a winter’s rest, and be ready to come back in the spring. I’m expecting a lot from him.”

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