It could have been better, but it could have been a whole lot worse.
The risks involved in race riding were very much to the fore on Saturday with four riders hitting the deck in Queensland alone, in a variety of circumstances with a variety of injury outcomes… thankfully, none of which that would be put in the very serious category.
At Doomben Michael Cahill and Lani Allen parted company with Endless Mystery and Vivenzo respectively, as the field started to quicken up approaching the home turn.
“I’ve got a minor fracture in each shoulder blade, but I got out of it pretty lightly,” explained Cahill, who really got dumped pretty hard when Endless Mystery clipped the heels of Friend of God.
“I landed in front of the horse when we came down. I was able to keep away from him and he got to his feet pretty quickly, so he didn’t make any contact with me, thank God.
“They are non-weight bearing injuries, so it will just take time … I don’t really have to do anything in terms of rehab.
“I’ll speak to orthopaedic surgeon in a week, or a week-and-a-half. I’ll get his opinion then and I’ll take it from there.
“All things considered it wasn’t a bad outcome,” concluded Cahill.
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Lani Allen suffered a broken tibia in the same incident.
“I have fractured my tibia … down low next to my ankle. Beyond that it’s just bruising,” confirmed Allen.
“It will put me out for a while. They are talking six weeks in a cast … and then I’m guess rehab will be a moon-boot. That’s the process they are starting to talk to me about.
“My horse didn’t actually fall. He just blundered. I had just slipped out to a three to four wide position and, as I did that, whatever was happening in from of Michael (Cahill), he had to get out as well … and as he got out he clipped heels and I also got tangled up in that.
“My horse knuckled over without falling, but it just threw me right over his head. I was able to hang on a little bit, but then, obviously, I had to let go.
“It’s a bit of a shame because I felt that I was getting a roll on as a senior rider.
“I’m already bored climbing the walls and it hasn’t even been forty-eight hours yet … but, I’ll stay positive and kick on. That’s all I can do.”
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While the Cahill and Allen fall sequence happened in the middle of race action, two other separate incidents on the day in Queensland further emphasised the fact that danger can strike anywhere, anytime … Sariah Champkin came off after the post after guiding Hero’s Trinket to victory in the first race at Nanango and Isabelle Rabjones was dislodged shortly after leaving the start on Miss Da Blass in race six race at the Toowoomba night meeting.
“I honestly don’t remember a lot of what happened in the fall,” said Champkin.
“What I do remember is looking up just before the winning post and realising that I was drifted out. Then, suddenly, the outside rail was only a couple of metres out in front and I remember trying my hardest to pull my horse back in, but she just didn’t want to budge.
“She didn’t really hang. She was just going that way and you couldn’t change her mind. Trying to put it all together afterwards, I think she was maybe just wanting to go back to the tie-up stalls.
“I do remember her missing the fence and then losing both of my irons, but I don’t remember anything else after that.
“I was knocked out … some people told me I was out for about three minutes, but I obviously don’t know anything about that.
“I have a cut on my right eye-lid, which has obviously turned into a black eye,” continued Champkin.
‘I must have also bitten my tongue pretty bad, because I have a massive blood clot under my tongue and lots of cut marks all over my tongue … and I’ve copped a hefty bruise on my left ankle … but other than that I’m completely fine.
“Nothing against the horse. I’d say she was just having a bad moment. I’d really like to ride her again actually.”
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At Toowoomba, Isabella Rabjones’s mount Miss Da Blass and another runner, Mishani Mystique bumped heavily after jumping away from the starting gates, an incident which resulted in Rabjones coming off her horse. The horse did not fall.
Rabjones too was knocked unconscious.
“The paramedics said I was out for about three minutes. I went to hospital and I was there until about two o’clock the following morning,” said Rabjones.
“The official report is that I suffered bad concussion and just soft tissue damage to my face and neck.
“I‘ve now got a week of doing nothing. Next week I hope to get back to light duties … just working on the ground.
“The week after that I can go back to track-work, but I will have to pass a cognitive test first … so looking at probably around three weeks out of the race saddle.”
So, on the evidence of these Saturday incidents alone, and there are countless other examples over a long period of time, nobody can question that race riding is a tough and very demanding occupation.
It is undertaking by those who not only have to be tough in terms of battling physical challenges, from serious injury to simple stresses and strains to, for many, coping with an abnormal lifestyle … but they also have to be tough mentally, which often takes the route of maintaining an optimistic outlook through whatever is thrown at them … an attitude perhaps personified by Michael Cahill’s comment … “It wasn’t a bad outcome all things considered,” or Lani Allen’s … “I’ll stay positive and kick on.”
In general, a jockey’s contribution to the racing industry is often taken for granted.
Clearly, that should never be the case.
All credit to them.
*Of the fiour horses involved in the three incidents, threeof the horses did not fall, and the one that did regained its feet quickly and was returned to the unsaddling enclosure.
