Racehorse TALK

Make no mistake about it, being a jockey is a dangerous profession.

It takes training, skill and courage. Not only in controlling a huge animal but in the running of the race itself.

Riders must be ever alert and quick thinking, able to react to the changing circumstances and conditions that occur throughout a race.

They are required to ride horses at full gallop in company with numerous others sometimes with lesser training and with poorer skills.

And sometimes under heavy rain and in dangerously poor track conditions with the thought of accidents ever present in their minds. No matter how many precautions are taken, in horse racing, accidents are inevitable.

Accidents of course mean injury and injury means loss of income and maybe the inability to ride for long periods.

This can result in a loss of status, lose of reputation and loss of confidence.

Today many risk associated with horse racing have been reduced. The racing clubs have introduced many regulations to make horse racing safer. Heavy penalties for dangerous riding, extensive camera surveillance, smaller race fields, stewards controls and inquiries all reduce risk and encourage safe racing tactics.

Improvements to the basic skull cap and other riding gear greatly reduce injury.

However, horse racing is still a dangerous past time and over the years racing accidents has taken the lives of many riders and horses.

Since 1847, sadly 300 jockeys have been killed or died from injuries as a result of falls on racecourses throughout Australia.

That may be of surprise to some but the reason these deaths are not publicised is that they occur more often in country horse racing and attract little attention.

Hundreds more jockeys have suffered injury and hospitalisation as a result of incidents and accidents during races and training.

During the running of the Caulfield Cup in 1885, which was contested by a large field of 41 starters, two horses collided and fell at the home turn bringing down most of those following. Altogether 16 horses fell and 13 others were pulled up as a result. One jockey and one horse were killed and this is probable the worst racing accident to have occurred in Australia.

Horse racing is a lot safer nowadays but the dangers for both rider and horse are inherent in the nature of horse racing and are ever present.

Horse racing is a dangerous past time and over the years horse racing accidents has taken the lives of many riders and horses.

Since 1847, sadly 300 jockeys have been killed or died from injuries as a result of falls on racecourses throughout Australia.

That may be of surprise to some but the reason these deaths are not publicised is that they occur more often on the country tracks and attract little attention.

Hundreds more jockeys have suffered injury and hospitalisation as a result of incidents and accidents during horse racing and training.

Horse racing is a lot safer nowadays but the dangers for both rider and horse are inherent in the nature of horse racing and are ever present.

Here are a few of those incidents;

During the running of the Caulfield Cup in 1885, which was contested by a large field of 41 starters, two horses collided and fell at the home turn bringing down most of those following. Altogether 16 horses fell and 13 others were pulled up as a result. One jockey and one horse were killed and this is probable the worst horse racing accident to have occurred in Australia.

In March 2005, in Victoria two separate race falls at country meetings resulted in the deaths of two jockeys, Gavin Lish and Adrian Ledger. 

On the 11th June at Eagle Farm Racecourse Jockey Michael Cahill was dislodged from his horse after passing the winning post. Clinging to the reins he skimmed alongside the horse for about 100 metres before bringing the filly to a halt. A few hours later, Michael won the $1million Stradbroke Cup.

In the early days, the track at Flemington was marked by a number of widely spaced posts set in the ground. But in the running of the 1878 Melbourne Cup a jockey a horse fell throwing it’s rider against one of the post and badly injuring him. As a result of that accident running rails were installed.

In the 1881 Cup a dog ran onto the track and became entangled in the legs of one of the horses causing it to fall bringing down another horse who fell heavily onto it’s rider who later died from the injuries.

In 1979, a horse was injured in the melee but did not fall. The horse, Dulcify, broke his pelvis and was destroyed.

At Sandown in March, 2005, A huge flock of seagulls gathered on the track were disturbed by the horses approaching at the 200metre mark. The birds literally panicked and flew right into the horses creating chaos. Several horse shied and threw their riders. 5 Jockeys were left sprawling on the track and 3 were taken to hospital. In the eleven horse race, every horse was affected by the birds and the race was declared a “no race” under the rules. 

Four jockeys were injured in a five horse collision at Canterbury on 16 January, 1985. It took nearly an hour for the scene to be cleared and the jockeys transported to Hospital.

At a country race meeting at Lismore in 1988, Iris Neilsen was killed when her mount collided with a fallen horse. Iris was the first female jockey killed in Australian horse racing.