A British point-to-point jockey who lost a leg fighting in Afghanistan has not let his war injury stop him returning to race riding.
Former army officer Guy Disney, 32, rode five winners before losing his right leg below the knee in 2009 when he was in a vehicle hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
With the help of an inventive navy doctor and a customised Australian-produced leather `toe stopper’, Disney has now ridden in his first race with an artificial leg.
The war veteran initially struggled to convince the British Horseracing Authority it was safe for him to compete, according to reports in the UK’s The Telegraph.
But a naval doctor with experience helping injured pilots return to the cockpit helped Disney make his case to the BHA by proving his artificial leg was not a safety concern.
He showed video footage of him losing and regaining his irons at speed to demonstrate his control.
Disney told the Telegraph he didn’t expect miracles as a one-legged jockey but hoped to ride in more point-to-points in the new year on his white horse Swing Bill.
