Investigation launched after jockey injured at Huntingdon
Racing authorities are investigating after jockey Callum Pritchard was left lying injured on the track as horses raced by during a meeting at Huntingdon on Thursday, reports BritPanorama.
Pritchard was thrown from his mount Limier D’Arthel at the opening hurdle in a two-mile maiden event and subsequently trampled, losing his helmet in the fall. Medical staff were quickly dispatched to attend to him while horses continued to thunder past at approximately 30mph, mere metres from where he lay.
The British Horseracing Authority is examining the incident to understand why protective screens were not erected around Pritchard and the medical personnel on scene. Observers have described the situation as “appalling.”
Following the fall, Pritchard was transported to the hospital for X-rays on his leg. His agent, Sam Stronge, confirmed that the jockey was “in good spirits” despite the circumstances. Daryl Jacob, a former Grand National winner and now a Racing TV presenter, witnessed the incident and commented, “It was a really nasty incident. These jockeys, they are tough as old boots.”
Jacob noted further concern when Pritchard did not immediately rise after his fall, which typically signals a serious issue. “Whenever they can get up they will straight away and when he was down and they bypassed the third last, to me that is always worrying. I wish him a speedy recovery,” he added.
In an unrelated incident on Friday, the former Royal Ascot competitor Cannonball suffered a fatal leg injury during the Group Two Australia Stakes at Pakenham, Victoria. The six-year-old gelding, who had previously competed in Britain under trainers Peter and Paul Snowden, was put down after the injury.
Cannonball had shown promise earlier in his career, earning a place at Royal Ascot through significant victories before returning to Australia, where he had changed stables twice before recently displaying renewed potential.
The duality of fortune in horse racing reveals the fragility of both jockeys and horses alike; at any moment, triumph can turn to tragedy, reminding all involved of the inherent risks in the sport.
