Fall and injury incidence rates of jockeys while racing in Ireland, France and Britain

Abstract

This article presents and analyses injury incidence rates for amateur and professional racing jockeys in Ireland, France and Britain by means of a retrospective study and review of published data. Amateur jump racing was seen to have the highest fall risk in these three countries (between 115 and 140 falls/1000 rides). Jump racing also had the highest rates of injury/ride amongst both amateur and professional jockeys. Flat racing, however, had the highest rates of injuries/fall (34-44%). Of all the injuries in both jump and flat racing populations of amateur and professional jockeys, 15% were concussive head injuries, and more than half of these involved loss of consciousness. Professional jump jockeys in Ireland fell less frequently than those in France or Britain. Their injury/fall rate and injury/ride rate were highest in Britain. Professional flat racing jockeys in France had the lowest rates of injuries/fall and injuries/ride, while those in Ireland had the highest.

Predictors of race-day jockey falls in flat racing in Australia

“…Injury and death rates for thoroughbred racing jockeys have been reported previously in studies conducted in Great Britain,2–7 Ireland,3 4 6 7 France,6 7 the United States of America8 9 and Japan,10 and by our group in Australia 1. These studies have consistently found that the majority of injuries are caused by falls 4 6–10.…”

“…These studies have consistently found that the majority of injuries are caused by falls 4 6–10. While the differences in fall rates between amateur and professional racing7 and different types of track surfaces4 have been commented on, factors associated with falls to jockeys in the thoroughbred horse-racing industry have yet to be investigated. Designing and implementing appropriate interventions to prevent falls requires an understanding of the numerous factors that are associated with these falls.…”

Finite element modelling of equestrian helmet impacts exposes the need to address rotational kinematics in future helmet designs

“…Equestrian jockeys, especially jump racing jockeys, fall very frequently and are at a high risk of suffering head injury (Forero Rueda et al 2010). The helmet is a vital component in the jockey's equipment, and their use considerably reduces the risk of sustaining serious head injury (Harrison et al 1996;Turner et al 2002).…”

Straight from the horse's mouth: neurological injury in equestrian sports

“…Our data corroborates those found in prior studies in that the majority of patients are young women who were thrown from, fell off, or directly injured by the horse, and sustained concussions and orthopedic injuries 1,4,6–15,17,20,22. While the prevalence of equestrian injuries is dwarfed by other reasons for emergency room visits,1,26 the rate of injuries is thought to be higher than that of other activities, including motorcycle riding and automobile racing 1,4,6,20,21. This is despite the lower velocity and lower impact nature of the sport, and advocates the need for more outreach and education on proper safety; higher velocity activities often have state or federal regulations to establish minimum safety guidelines for the participants (e.g.…”

“…Steeplechase jockeys ride at faster speeds, jumping fences and other obstacles as a normal part of their event. As a result, these riders put themselves at increased risk compared to their peers who do not participate in these racing events, especially ones that involve jumping at high speeds 26. This sport has been studied previously and found to have higher risks of injury, particularly repetitive concussive and sub-concussive brain trauma 26.…”