statistics: life and death
July 12th 2008 07:28
There are many deaths and injuries in racing that are never discussed, never reported. If death or injury occurs on race day it will be covered by the national media - but if this event occurs on a training track it will most likely slip by without notice.
(photo: Getty Images)
Norman Waymouth was in the headlines constantly when as a young man he rode brilliant sprinter Rancher to success after success with feature races and eight wins in a row. Rancher was trained by his father, Charlie Waymouth, who was a very successful trainer.
In 2001 Norman Waymouth was riding a young horse at trackwork at Cranbourne when - at full gallop - the horse suffered a heart attack. Waymouth was catapulted over the head of the falling horse and he landed on his back. Only to have the horse roll on top of him and cause him to lose consciousness.
The result of his injuries were a broken back and neck. He subsequently had a metal brace placed in his spine. He was unable to even lead a horse by rope, let alone ride after this accident. Career over. Life significantly changed.
Waymouth later assisted in the review into the benefits and impact of the mandatory safety vests for jockeys. He had concerns about the inability for a jockey to roil in a ball to avoid a heavy impact. His vest had not saved him from serious injury - but it is a valuable addition to the safety measures (in most cases) for jockeys. Just as a seat belt in a car cannot always save a life or prevent serious injury, neither will the vest on all occasions.
The use of plastic running rails in now being introduced into Victoria (albeit slowly). In 1985 Waymouth had a spill from a horse in a maiden plate at Geelong. He fell as a result of a horse directly in front going down and also bringing down his mount. That first horse to fall was ridden by 19 year old apprentice Warren Stevens. After Norman tucked and tumbled away from danger he ran back to offer assistance to Warren. The sight of the deceased Warren Stevens with crushed skull has haunted him since.
Too many jockeys have already died from impact with the steel uprights that hold the current aluminium rails in place. The upright section of the new plastic rails will 'kick out' on impact and pose no danger to fallen jockey or horse.
On average at least two jockeys are killed each year. Two more will become paraplegics and dozens more will be seriously maimed or injured. Horseracing is a far more 'extreme' and dangerous sport for man than motor racing, parachuting, mountaineering, hang gliding or boxing*. There are more falls in jumping races than flat racing, but it is the difference in speed and tightness of racing that make it the more dangerous twin.
*RJ McCunney & KP Russo report of 1994 that demonstrated that horseracing has the highest number of deaths per participants.
There is an eloquent quote from an ex-jockey and now journalist for the Sunday Times who wrote:
"The flat racing fall is one of the most eye-whacking horrors that any game can give," he wrote once. "In an instant, silk-clad jockeys turn from shiny acrobats to a puny rag doll kicked by unforgiving hooves."
I knew Norman Waymouth from the very early days of the Apprentices' School held at Caulfield Racecourse where we would all be bussed in from different locations to attend various classes. We came in a bus from Mentone. I knew him by name and he knew me by sight (such was our status in the pecking order). I was such a poorly skilled (poorly schooled) apprentice that I would have become a statistic if I had not found it all too hard.
Some of the current jockeys missing from the racetrack through injuries include:
Lacey Morrison: still recovering after a terrible fall on Ipswich Cup Day. She has heavy bruising to the brain and requires long rehabilitation in hospital.
David Taggart: Melbourne jockey who may now never ride again after a fall at Stony Creek some 15 months ago. Taggart broke his right leg and shattered his left ankle - but it is a series of complications that followed that would now seem to end his riding career.
Alison Threadwell: She suffered a fracture to the T12 in her back after a trackwork accident in January. Future undecided.
Kane Post: will miss many months after breaking his collarbone in three places after a fall at Mildura. He was flown to Melbourne for an operation to insert a plate in his collarbone.
The list is extensive. Many broken bones and several knee reconstructions. Many of these injuries suffered during trackwork.
A National Coroners Investigation (2000 - 2006) revealed that contrary to popular belief, in Australia it is not sharks, snakes, crocodiles or spiders that are responsible for causing most human death (attributable to animals) - but instead it is the horse.
Of the 128 deaths linked to animals that were investigated, 40 were caused by horses.
A video of some interesting incidents in racing - with no serious injury to horse or rider. But it does illustrate the constant danger of horseracing:
The dangers of horseracing
(photo: Getty Images)
Norman Waymouth was in the headlines constantly when as a young man he rode brilliant sprinter Rancher to success after success with feature races and eight wins in a row. Rancher was trained by his father, Charlie Waymouth, who was a very successful trainer.
In 2001 Norman Waymouth was riding a young horse at trackwork at Cranbourne when - at full gallop - the horse suffered a heart attack. Waymouth was catapulted over the head of the falling horse and he landed on his back. Only to have the horse roll on top of him and cause him to lose consciousness.
The result of his injuries were a broken back and neck. He subsequently had a metal brace placed in his spine. He was unable to even lead a horse by rope, let alone ride after this accident. Career over. Life significantly changed.
Waymouth later assisted in the review into the benefits and impact of the mandatory safety vests for jockeys. He had concerns about the inability for a jockey to roil in a ball to avoid a heavy impact. His vest had not saved him from serious injury - but it is a valuable addition to the safety measures (in most cases) for jockeys. Just as a seat belt in a car cannot always save a life or prevent serious injury, neither will the vest on all occasions.
The use of plastic running rails in now being introduced into Victoria (albeit slowly). In 1985 Waymouth had a spill from a horse in a maiden plate at Geelong. He fell as a result of a horse directly in front going down and also bringing down his mount. That first horse to fall was ridden by 19 year old apprentice Warren Stevens. After Norman tucked and tumbled away from danger he ran back to offer assistance to Warren. The sight of the deceased Warren Stevens with crushed skull has haunted him since.
Too many jockeys have already died from impact with the steel uprights that hold the current aluminium rails in place. The upright section of the new plastic rails will 'kick out' on impact and pose no danger to fallen jockey or horse.
On average at least two jockeys are killed each year. Two more will become paraplegics and dozens more will be seriously maimed or injured. Horseracing is a far more 'extreme' and dangerous sport for man than motor racing, parachuting, mountaineering, hang gliding or boxing*. There are more falls in jumping races than flat racing, but it is the difference in speed and tightness of racing that make it the more dangerous twin.
*RJ McCunney & KP Russo report of 1994 that demonstrated that horseracing has the highest number of deaths per participants.
There is an eloquent quote from an ex-jockey and now journalist for the Sunday Times who wrote:
"The flat racing fall is one of the most eye-whacking horrors that any game can give," he wrote once. "In an instant, silk-clad jockeys turn from shiny acrobats to a puny rag doll kicked by unforgiving hooves."
I knew Norman Waymouth from the very early days of the Apprentices' School held at Caulfield Racecourse where we would all be bussed in from different locations to attend various classes. We came in a bus from Mentone. I knew him by name and he knew me by sight (such was our status in the pecking order). I was such a poorly skilled (poorly schooled) apprentice that I would have become a statistic if I had not found it all too hard.
Some of the current jockeys missing from the racetrack through injuries include:
Lacey Morrison: still recovering after a terrible fall on Ipswich Cup Day. She has heavy bruising to the brain and requires long rehabilitation in hospital.
David Taggart: Melbourne jockey who may now never ride again after a fall at Stony Creek some 15 months ago. Taggart broke his right leg and shattered his left ankle - but it is a series of complications that followed that would now seem to end his riding career.
Alison Threadwell: She suffered a fracture to the T12 in her back after a trackwork accident in January. Future undecided.
Kane Post: will miss many months after breaking his collarbone in three places after a fall at Mildura. He was flown to Melbourne for an operation to insert a plate in his collarbone.
The list is extensive. Many broken bones and several knee reconstructions. Many of these injuries suffered during trackwork.
A National Coroners Investigation (2000 - 2006) revealed that contrary to popular belief, in Australia it is not sharks, snakes, crocodiles or spiders that are responsible for causing most human death (attributable to animals) - but instead it is the horse.
Of the 128 deaths linked to animals that were investigated, 40 were caused by horses.
A video of some interesting incidents in racing - with no serious injury to horse or rider. But it does illustrate the constant danger of horseracing:
| 18 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Subscribe to this blog
