Gemma Hutchinson will be at Dingley point-to-point course attempting to win the Woodland Pytchley and Fernie Members Race for the EIGHTH time.

Just under three years ago Gemma had a crashing fall at Garthorpe that left her with a broken back, a punctured lung and her pelvis broken in five places.

Her injuries not only looked as if they might bring an end to her riding career but also seriously interrupted her teacher career training. But Gemma defied normal healing processes and confounded those who said she would never ride again. Within six months she was back on the racecourse and riding winners.

Getting her career back on course took a little longer and it wasn’t until the start of this school year that she was qualified and able to take up her first teaching job at North Kilworth, not far from her family home in Theddingworth.

Since she rode in her first race aged 16, Gemma has ridden 41 winners, all of them on Hutchinson family horses. Because of the severe pain she still suffers from the injuries to her pelvis, Gemma attends hospital before the start of each point-to-point season to have a major pain-killing injection.

Her mother, Sue Hutchinson said: “She just couldn’t exercise let alone race without the injection. I always offer to come in with her when it is being given but Gemma says I wouldn’t like to see the size of the needle.”

Gemma will be riding Limerick Leader on Saturday, the horse she won the Members Race on last year, and has hopes of going on to emulate the two Dingley old favourites Don’t Tell The Wife and Sami on each of which she won the Members race three times.

Her older brother Sam will be lining up in the Novice Riders race on Nonantais, and with father Patrick as the horses’ owner and Sue as trainer, it will be a family day for the Hutchinsons.

With a total entry of 111 runners, spectators will see an exciting day’s racing with the Novice Riders race and the Maiden event the most hotly contested on what is expected to be ideal racing ground.

Because Easter is early this year and the clocks have not yet been put pack, the first race is 30 minutes earlier than usual at 1.30pm.