Story
We all know the sport we love and treasure can take a terrible toll occasionally on riders, whether at exercise, or on the racecourse. The Injured Jockeys’ Fund, a wonderful legacy of the late John Oaksey, supports all those who find themselves incapacitated temporarily or on a permanent basis as a result of racing injuries. JT McNamara, paralysed at Cheltenham in 2013 and Peter Toole, seriously injured at Aintree last year are two graphic and recent examples where the IJF’s assistance is supporting their rehabilitation and their families. More recently, racecourse injuries to Jason Maguire, Ruby Walsh, Brian Cooper and Daryl Jacob continue to illustrate the necessity of the IJF to support riders’ own insurance cover. The IJF provides immediate and effective help to all newly injured jockeys in whatever way is appropriate to ensure a reasonable quality of life for them and their families.
I retired from Jump racing in 2002 and have since pursued a successful career as a Jockeys’ Valet. I had my share of IJF support during a career that included numerous injuries like a broken pelvis, broken arms and shoulders. I see now at first hand the risks my former colleagues like AP Mccoy, Richard Johnson, Frankie Dettori, Mickael Barzalona and Jamie Spencer run in the course of a day’s work, which is why I have resolved to undertake a fund-raising challenge of my own in support of the IJF.
“This is no guided tour, or pony trek. There is no marked course, no packed lunches, no shower block, no stabling. That's the whole point. It's just them, a team of horses and a thousand kilometres of Mongolian wilderness. And possibly a GPS. The jockeys must change horses at every station and deliver their mounts to their destination in mint condition. But how they will navigate between them is where the fun begins”.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.