A 9-Year Epidemiologic Study (2007-2015) on Race-Day Jockey Fall and Injury Incidence in Amateur Irish Horse Racing.
Abstract: Point-to-point racing may place jockeys at risk of serious injuries due to the high incidence of falls as previously reported. Despite many advances in health and safety strategies, the incidence of falls and injuries in point-to-point racing has not been reported since 2006. Objective: To provide a longitudinal analysis of the fall and injury incidence in point-to-point horse racing jockeys in Ireland from 2007 to 2015 and compare these findings with the previous literature. Methods: Descriptive epidemiologic study. Methods: All injuries that occurred due to a fall at every official point-to-point race meeting from 2007 to 2015 were recorded by a medical doctor using a standardized injury report form. Methods: Falls and injury rates and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs), 95% confidence intervals and percentage change were compared between point-to-point and professional racing, between previous data and the current results, and from 2007 to 2015. Results: An average of 67.40 injuries/1000 falls and 9.08 injuries/1000 rides occurred in point-to-point racing, and this was reduced compared with the previous analysis. Amateur jockeys sustained an overall mean of 134.77 falls/1000 rides and the yearly means decreased over the 9 years of the study. Amateur jockeys sustained a higher fall rate than professional jockeys (flat: IRR = 35.47 [31.03, 40.54]; jump: IRR = 2.72 [2.63, 2.82]); however, their injuries/1000 falls rate was lower (flat: IRR = 0.19 [0.15, 0.24]; jump: IRR = 0.33 [0.30, 0.63]). Soft tissue injuries were predominant (43.09%), with 26.06 fractures and 9.98 concussions/1000 falls occurring. Conclusions: Although injuries have been reduced since the previous analysis, more serious injuries such as fractures and concussions were more common in point-to-point racing than professional racing, possibly due to their higher fall risk. Thus, identifying strategies to reduce the fall risk in point-to-point racing should be a priority.
Publication Date: 2018-10-30 PubMed ID: 30376371PubMed Central: PMC6263073DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-339-17Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research presents a comprehensive analysis of race-day jockey fall and injury incidences in Irish amateur point-to-point horse racing from 2007 to 2015, uncovering that despite a decrease in injuries over the years, the risk of serious injuries like fractures and concussions is higher in point-to-point racing compared to professional racing due to an increased chance of falls.
Methods
- The study was a descriptive epidemiologic study that recorded all injuries resulting from falls in every official point-to-point race from 2007 to 2015.
- A medical doctor using a standardized injury report form was responsible for recording all injuries.
- The researchers calculated fall and injury rates and their 95% confidence intervals.
- In addition, Incidence Rate Ratios (IRR), 95% confidence intervals and the percentage change were compared between point-to-point and professional racing, between previous data and the current results, and from 2007 to 2015.
Results
- The results highlighted an average of 67.40 injuries per 1000 falls and 9.08 injuries per 1000 rides occurred in point-to-point racing, which showed a reduction compared with the previous analysis.
- Amateur jockeys experienced an average of 134.77 falls per 1000 rides and this yearly mean reduced continuously over the 9-year study period.
- However, amateur jockeys had a higher fall rate than professional jockeys but their injuries per 1000 falls rate was lower.
- Soft tissue injuries were the most common (43.09%), followed by fractures (26.06 per 1000 falls) and concussions (9.98 per 1000 falls).
Conclusion
- Although injuries have decreased since the last analysis, more serious injuries like fractures and concussions were found to be more prevalent in point-to-point racing than professional racing, potentially due to their higher fall risk.
- Consequently, the study strongly recommends that discovering methods to mitigate the fall risk in point-to-point racing should be made a top priority.
Cite This Article
APA
O'Connor S, Warrington G, Mb AM, Cullen S.
(2018).
A 9-Year Epidemiologic Study (2007-2015) on Race-Day Jockey Fall and Injury Incidence in Amateur Irish Horse Racing.
J Athl Train, 53(10), 950-955.
https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-339-17 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, Ireland.
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Science and the Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland.
- The Turf Club, The Curragh, Kildare, Ireland.
- Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland.
MeSH Terms
- Accidental Falls
- Accidents, Occupational
- Adult
- Animals
- Athletic Injuries / epidemiology
- Brain Concussion / epidemiology
- Epidemiologic Studies
- Fractures, Bone / epidemiology
- Horses
- Humans
- Incidence
- Ireland / epidemiology
- Risk Factors
- Soft Tissue Injuries / epidemiology
References
This article includes 10 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Stallones L, McManus P, McGreevy P. Sustainability and the Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing Industries: An Enhanced One Welfare Perspective.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 31;13(3).
- Lucas D, Stokes K, McGuigan P, Hill J, Cazzola D. Consensus on a jockey's injury prevention framework for video analysis: a modified Delphi study.. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2022;8(4):e001441.
- Ryan K, Garruppo G, Alexander K, Hluchan CM, Lincoln AE. Injuries among Maryland jockeys during thoroughbred racing: 2015-2019.. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2020;6(1):e000926.
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