Rider left permanently disabled after being hit by a car near Bramham Horse Trials site

Joe Farthing had his three-year-old son as a passenger in the silver Vauxhall Astra when the collision happened in the village of Bramham, near Wetherby - which hosts the annual Bramham Horse Trials.

The 66-year-old woman and her friend were wearing high visibility clothing while riding their horses on Toulston Lane on the morning of Sunday December 15 last year.

The woman's friend heard a car approaching from behind them and the two riders got into single file.

Farthing's car struck the horse the victim was riding behind her friend.

She fell to the ground and suffered injuries including a collapsed lung, multiple fractured ribs and fractured spine, shoulder blade and collar bone.

The woman - who was treated in hospital for 27 days and suffered a stroke while there - has memory problems, has had to learn to walk and read again read and her husband now cares for her.

Her horse was so badly injured in the collision that a vet had to put it to sleep at the scene.

The court heard the force of the impact resulted in the car hitting the second horse and the rider also fell and suffered bruising.

Richard Walters, prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, said that the rider asked 31-year-old Farthing after he stopped at the scene: "What the hell were you doing?"

Mr Walters said: "He replied, 'avoiding puddles.' "

Farthing told police he was driving at between 40 to 45 mph on the 60mph road, which was not disputed by prosecutors.

Mr Walters said Farthing was interviewed later that morning at Wetherby police station and told officers that he had not been paying attention, adding: "He said he had been chatting to his son about the large puddles."

Mr Walters said on January 26, Farthing spoke to police again and denied he had been talking to his son just before the collision.

Mr Walters said: "He now said his vision was affected by the sun and said he couldn't see the riders until it was too late."

In a victim statement, the woman, who is still receiving medical treatment, said she had been a happy and active retired lady before the collision.

She wrote: "Caring for and riding horses had been a great source of pleasure to me. My horse was killed in the incident."

Her husband added: "It is particularly clear there will be nothing like a full recovery, either physically or cognitively.

"I understand from the medics she will be left permanently and severely disabled."

Father-of-two Farthing, of Ash Tree Walk, Tadcaster - who had a clean driving licence and has no previous convictions - admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Thomas Storey, mitigating, said: "He is still unable to explain precisely what it was that led to that catastrophic lapse in concentration on his part."

Mr Storey said Farthing is the main breadwinner in his family and said he would not be able to pay his mortgage if he was jailed immediately.

Judge Mushtaq Khokar handed Farthing a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Farthing was banned from driving for two years and ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work.

He was made the subject of a four-month electronically monitored curfew.

Judge Khokar said: "This was a horrific accident. When the prosecution said it was life threatening and life changing, it certainly was."