On Friday the Irish amateur champion had lengthy surgery to his neck after taking a bad fall at Cheltenham. He is in hospital in Bristol. We will know more of the diagnosis and prognosis next week.
Every jockey knows there is a good chance of being injured in a fall anytime you sit on a horse, but this is obviously a risk multiplied by trying to go over big fences at speed. We all wear protection but our necks, back, and head do not take heavy impact well.
I have broken ribs galore, a collar bone in 4 places, and suffered back and sacroiliac injuries, but nothing more life threatening than a ruptured spleen.
Yet I would get back on a racehorse and ride again in a race tomorrow if I had the chance, the horse to do so, and the fitness / weight required. Every jockey I know rides because they love it.
Every horse I have ever ridden loves racing, even if they are not good enough to win.
We all know there is a risk of injury, but life is inherently dangerous, and the avoidance of risk makes us lesser men. That does not mean that we do not fear and try avoid injury, it is just that racing makes you feel alive more than anything else I know.
Marcus Amitage, who rode the National winner, put it well in todays paper when he wrote:
"Broken limbs, knocks and bruises are an occupational hazard, part of the job
description.
But the elephant in the corner of the weighing room, which sits there most of
the time covered up by a blanket, are serious spinal and head injuries, those
collectively bracketed together as ‘life-changers.
This week that elephant reared up, shook off the blanket and stomped across
toes protected only by a layer of paper thin leather."
JT was a great jockey - far better than I was or ever will be. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today.
