Despite breaking her back in a riding accident, farmer’s wife Elizabeth Frearson was determined a fundraising fair she had started to organise would still go ahead.

Mrs Frearson, 52, is a trustee of the Rowdeford Charity Trust, which raises money for projects at Rowdeford School for children with special needs.

She had started planning a country fair to be held at her and her husband Bob’s farm in Bishops Cannings when she had her accident on April 4 while out riding with a friend.

Mrs Frearson said: “I very stupidly fell off the horse as I reached out to close the gate. I fell on to my back and I knew something was pretty serious because I couldn’t move and it hurt.”

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance flew Mrs Frearson to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon where it was found that she had broken a vertebrae.

She was transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where she underwent an operation to remove the vertebrae.

She returned home after ten days and, despite being immobilised through wearing a back brace, she got straight back in to organising the country fair.

She said: “It never crossed my mind not to go ahead with the country fair, it’s just such a fun thing to do.

“I am incredibly lucky. A physiotherapist told me that most people who have the injury I had don’t walk again but after a year I should be able to get my left leg working properly again. At the moment I can walk to the end of the drive and back.”

Mrs Frearson is receiving physiotherapy at Devizes Hospital and has thanked friends and family for their help as she recovers.

The country fair is on September 13 at Bourton Manor Farm from 11am until 4pm. It is raising money towards a new arts therapy centre being built at Rowdeford School.

At the fair will be various animals including horses and alpacas, a family dog show, country crafts, vintage ploughing, Morris dancing, carriage driving, thatching and Rowdeford School pupils will be country dancing.

Entry is £10 per car. For details call (01380) 860244.