Soledad O'Brien Injury Update

CNN journalist Soledad O'Brien is just starting the process of recovering from a serious injury to her knee.

Last weekend, she was horseback riding in Brewster, N.Y., with her daughters, Sofia and Cecilia, when she was thrown from her horse.

Unfortunately, she is just starting the promotional touring for her latest CNN documentary in the Black in America series called 'Almighty Debt' that premieres on Oct. 21st.

She also has her book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, coming out on November 2.

She doesn't intend to cancel any engagements at this point. On her calendar is travel to Atlanta this week for the ceremonies at Morehouse College's "Soledad O'Brien Freedom's Voice Award."

Soledad updated BV Buzz about the injury.

"She got spooked by another horse and ditched me. I tore absolutely everything in my knee. My surgeon said 'impressive!' I am on crutches now and doing physical therapy. I'll have surgery in two weeks [Oct. 22] when the swelling goes down."

She got spooked by another horse and ditched me. I tore absolutely everything in my knee. My surgeon said 'impressive!' I am on crutches now and doing physical therapy. I'll have surgery in two weeks when the swelling goes down.

It's super hard to clunk around on crutches! You know what's annoying is now I'm slow and I usually get 10 things done at one time! So cutting back is really hard for me. Plus, the kids keep baking me get-well-soon cakes, which I'm eating!

I'm trying to figure out how to walk on crutches in a gown."

The 44 year-old mother of four, has been medically cleared to swim and bike to maintain her fitness regimen.

O'Brien Back in the Saddle

Soledad O'Brien reports via Twitter that "5 months after tearing up my knee I'm hopping back on my horse. Must admit I'm anxious. Very. Ugh. & a crappy rainy day doesn't help." - and a few hours later "Back on the ol' horse! Me and Virgil (not quite ready for my horse Charlotte yet). Felt great. Need to get back to the gym to get some muscle in my leg!

Soledad O'Brien, Equestrian, Speaks on Thoroughbred Aftercare

August issue of 'Heels Down' magazine "Soledad O’Brien, From the Newsroom to the Tack Room"

Equestricon, the first and only fan festival to celebrate the sport of horse racing, was held in Saratoga Springs, NY August 13-15. Soledad O'Brien spoke about thoroughbred rescue and aftercare.

Her keynote address on the second day of the three-day festival at the Saratoga Springs City Center was about what the industry calls "aftercare" or a thoroughbred's life after its usefulness on the track is spent.

"It's not something that people in racing like to talk about," said O'Brien who owns two retired race horses. "But if the horses aren't rescued after they're off the track, they are slaughtered."

Soledad on Aspen

her own rescues, thoroughbreds 9-year-old Joey and 11-year-old Dezi, were retrained as jumpers for her teen daughters who regularly ride.

with rescue racehorse Joey

"Horse rescue is exactly what is not talked about," say Soledad. "Let's discuss it and talk about the real challenges and the real solutions. You don't need to be a professional. You just have to love horses. It's a really wonderful thing."

Soledad and Her Thoroughbreds

Soledad on "Joey"  Photo by Melissa Hogan

Soledad O'Brien did an interview with  OffTrackThoroughbreds.com and talked about how her love of horses has led her to adopt two Thoroughbreds that might have ended up slaughtered otherwise.

“It’s amazing to me that horses like mine could be slaughtered. Horses that are really a throw-away for some people are, for our family, horses that we’ll have forever.”

Soledad returned to her childhood love of riding when she received an imported Warmblood, as a 45th birthday present from her husband.

Unfortunately, in 2010,the mare spooked and in a fall O’Brien tore her knee badly.

It also damaged her confidence. Her Warmblood was a bit too much horse for her, but when she decided to find another riding horse (her Warmblood is being leased), they found Sedona, a five year old mare at Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue. Soledad and Sedona hit it off  and was soon at her upstate New York farm.

Now, Aoja, whose barn nickname is Joey, has also found a home with the O’Briens. This adopted bay, described as “bombproof” by O’Brien, has become a favorite with her two daughters.

“Sophia (12) is a shy rider, with a long, beautiful leg. He goes much slower for her. And 10 year old Cecelia is the gymnast who wants to go faster and is teaching him to jump cross-rails,” she says, adding that not only does he accommodate their styles, but also those of their friends. She even rides him herself from time to time.

“When you’re riding, you can’t do three things at once. You can’t be texting and emailing. All you can do is ride. It’s amazing. I like the idea of learning and focusing and figuring it out.”

Soledad: Equestrian

Soledad O'Brien is an avid equestrian. Not every ride ends happily. She had taken a fall after a bull charged her horse (Yes, really). But she gets back in the saddle!

Seven weeks after fracturing her tibia and two weeks
after getting off crutches, Soledad was back on a horse

Photos via https://twitter.com/soledadobrien

Soledad O'Brien Busy Despite Injury

Despite being in the process of recovering from a serious injury to her knee, CNN's Soledad O'Brien seems to be busier than ever.

She was injured when she was thrown from her horse while riding October 3rd with her daughters, Sofia and Cecilia.

It came as she was starting the promotional touring for her latest CNN documentary in the Black in America series called 'Almighty Debt' that premiered on Oct. 21st.

It doesn't appear that she canceled any events and has been seen on and off crutches.

She had knee surgery on October 22.

Soledad also has a new  book due out in early November titled The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities.

Last year, she co-wrote the Latino in America book that accompanied her CNN documentary of the same name.

Getting Personal About Helping Haiti

Soledad O'Brien spent time in Haiti covering the disaster relief efforts there after the earthquake. She is working on a CNN documentary about Christian missionaries helping in Haiti, but she spoke recently about the personal efforts that people can do - including her own young children.

"My kids, their project for their second -and third-grade classes, is they got plastic bags and put in notebooks and pencils and pencil sharpeners and stickers because when I was in Haiti the kids loved these little horse stickers my son put on the back of my blackberry. They went, 'Oh, these are great.' So I said, 'We should bring some stickers next time I go.' So I brought two roller bags of 300 notebooks, pencils and stickers and it happened to be the first day of school. That was something little we did. Did it make a huge difference? No. But a bunch of kids have notebooks now. So there's a lot of things you can do that cost nothing or very little."

SoledadOBrien.info

'The Three Questions' Podcast Features Soledad O'Brien

Soledad O'Brien, winner of the Dorothy I. Height Racial Justice Award
 by YWCA USA on Flickr

On episode 165 of The Three Questions with Andy Richter, you'll hear a long-form and wide-ranging interview with Soledad O’Brien. Soledad and Andy talk about mucking horse stalls, being in the newsroom, college, transitioning to on-camera, and being your own boss. ​

Soledad and Aspen

Soledad O'Brien, looking good at 50, on her horse, Aspen.  Photo: AARP - the magazine

Soledad with her horse, Aspen

Surgery Scheduled for Soledad Today

Soledad icing her knee

Soledad O'Brien is scheduled for surgery today on her knee. She seriously injured herself,  when she was thrown from her horse while riding October 3rd with her daughters.

She continued almost immediately with her promotional appearances for her latest CNN documentary, "Almighty Debt" that premiered yesterday.

Soledad O'Brien Injures Knee

According to her own Twitter posts today, CNN reporter Soledad O'Brien injured her knee while horseback riding.

She posted:

Ugh. Just fell off my horse. En route to the hospital! Think I've messed up my knee!

Well, seems I've torn EVERYTHING in my knee: acl, ml, miniscus. Argh. Going home to have a glass o wine! Advice anyone?

Well--a glass of wine has improved things. Seriously--need some info on acl, ml and miniscus tears. How will I get around?

when can I walk again? how long til surgery? Can I swim in the pool?

Off the phone w/the surgeon. 2 wks till we operate. Apparently my foot got stuck in the stirrups. So it wrenched my knee.