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BMJ open2021; 11(8); e044075; doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044075

Epidemiology of race day injury in young professional jockeys in Great Britain from 2007 to 2018: a retrospective cohort study.

Abstract: There are limited injury data in professional horse racing, particularly by sex. To describe injury incidence, characteristics and falls in male and female, flat and jump jockeys in Great Britain. Retrospective cohort study of professional jockeys in Britain. 245 jockeys licensed between 2007 and 2017. The primary outcome measure was injury on a race day. Injury incidence (per 1000 rides; per 1000 falls) was derived. Incidence-rate ratios (IRR) were calculated to compare incidence between flat and jump racing, male and female jockeys, and male flat and male jump jockeys for: (i) injury incidence, (ii) fall incidence and (iii) injuries per fall. 234 British professional jockeys were included. Jockeys were on average 19.5±2.0 years old at licence date, 79.9% male and 58.1% flat. The time of follow-up (racing in the study) was 3.7 (SD=2.3) years. There were 278 injuries, occurring in-race (81.7%), in the stalls (10.8%) or parade ring (6.1%). After one injury was removed to preserve anonymity, 57.2% were soft tissue injuries, 25.3% fractures and 10.5% concussion. There were 1634 falls, with 92% in male jump racing. The injury incidence was higher in jump racing (5.1 vs 1.0/1000 jockey rides). The falls incidence was 1.8/1000 rides in flat and 46.2/1000 rides in jump racing (IRR 0.04, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.04). There were over five times higher injuries/1000 falls in flat than jump racing (IRR 5.56, 95% CI 4.05 to 7.53). Male flat jockeys fell less than female flat (IRR 0.57, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.97). Most injuries occurred in-race and were soft tissue injuries. Jump jockeys fell more often than flat, and female flat jockeys fell more often than male flat. Flat jockeys injured more frequently when falling. No sex differences were seen for injuries per fall.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
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Publication Date: 2021-08-11 PubMed ID: 34380713PubMed Central: PMC8359493DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044075Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article in focus examined the occurrence and nature of injuries suffered by young professional jockeys during race days in Great Britain over an 11-year period (from 2007 to 2018). This retrospective cohort study took into account various factors including the type of horse racing (flat or jump racing), the sex of the jockey, and the events leading to the injury (during competition or otherwise).

Methodology

  • The researchers selected a group of 245 professional jockeys who were licensed between 2007 and 2017 for the study.
  • The main outcome of interest was any injury sustained on a race day.
  • Data about injury incidence, fall incidents, and the number of injuries per fall were gathered and computed for both per 1000 rides and per 1000 falls.
  • Incidence-rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated to determine variations in injury incidence among flat and jump racing, male and female jockeys, and between male flat and male jump jockeys.

Findings

  • Out of the 245 jockeys, 234 were included in the study. The majority were males (approximately 80%) and most were flat racers (around 58%).
  • Over the course of the study, there were 278 injuries. These mostly occurred in-race (81.7%) with the remainder occurring in the stalls (10.8%) or the parade ring (6.1%).
  • Nature of injuries: over half were soft tissue injuries (57.2%), followed by fractures (25.3%), and then concussions (10.5%).
  • A total of 1634 falls were reported, with 92% happening in male jump racing.
  • Higher injury incidence in jump racing: The injury incidence was 5.1 per 1000 jockey rides in jump racing compared to 1.0 in flat racing.
  • Higher rate of falls in jump racing: The incidence of falls stood at 1.8 per 1000 rides in flat racing and rose to 46.2 per 1000 rides in jump racing (IRR 0.04).
  • Falls more injurious in flat racing: There were over five times more injuries per 1000 falls in flat racing than in jump racing (IRR 5.56).
  • Female flat jockeys fell more: Male flat jockeys had fewer falls compared to their female counterparts (IRR 0.57).
  • No sex differences were observed in the number of injuries per fall.

Conclusion

Apparently, most race-day injuries sustained by young professional jockeys in Great Britain occur during competition and are typically soft tissue injuries. The study also indicates that there are more falls and subsequently more injuries in jump racing compared to flat racing. However, a fall in flat racing is more likely to result in injury. Furthermore, the study showed that female flat jockeys fall more frequently than male flat jockeys, but the sex of a jockey does not significantly affect the likelihood of injury per fall.

Cite This Article

APA
Davies M, Jackson KA, Mackinnon AL, Turner A, Kuznik K, Hill J, Newton JL, Sanchez Santos M. (2021). Epidemiology of race day injury in young professional jockeys in Great Britain from 2007 to 2018: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open, 11(8), e044075. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044075

Publication

BMJ open
ISSN: 2044-6055
NlmUniqueID: 101552874
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 8
Pages: e044075
PII: e044075

Researcher Affiliations

Davies, Madeleine
  • Institute for Sport, Exercise and Health, University College London, London, UK m.davies@bath.ac.uk.
  • Department of Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
Jackson, Kate A
  • Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research Verses Arthritis, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
  • Sporting Knee Injury Prevention Programme (SKIPP), Headington, Oxfordshire, UK.
Mackinnon, Anna Louise
  • Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research Verses Arthritis, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
  • Injured Jockeys Fund, Newmarket, UK.
Turner, Alison
  • NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Kuznik, Kerry
  • Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research Verses Arthritis, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
  • British Horseracing Authority Ltd, London, UK.
Hill, Jerry
  • British Horseracing Authority Ltd, London, UK.
Newton, Julia L
  • Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research Verses Arthritis, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
  • NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.
Sanchez Santos, Maria
  • Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK.

MeSH Terms

  • Accidents, Occupational
  • Animals
  • Athletic Injuries / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology

Conflict of Interest Statement

Competing interests: MD has received project funding from the Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football Union’s Injured Players Foundation, British Medical Association and British Horseracing Association. Since submitting this manuscript, MD has become a sessional employee of the British Horseracing Authority, supporting the COVID-19 response in racing. KK has no competing interests. After completing her academic contract on this study, KK has commenced employment in the Medical Department of the British Horseracing Authority. JH is employed by the British Horseracing Authority. MSS is supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the University of Oxford.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Giusti Gestri L. Wearable technology may assist in reducing jockeys' injuries if integrated into their safety vests: a qualitative study. Front Sports Act Living 2023;5:1167110.
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  2. Newton LJ, Dobbin N, Goodwin P, Crampton JS. Factors associated with time to return to horse racing following a clavicle fracture in jockeys competing in Great Britain: A review and analysis of medical records. PLoS One 2025;20(1):e0317724.
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  3. Farley A, Bennett H, Eston R, Perry R. Cardiac Structure and Function of Elite Australian Jockeys Compared to the General Population: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study. Sports Med Open 2024 Nov 5;10(1):119.
    doi: 10.1186/s40798-024-00783-9pubmed: 39499420google scholar: lookup
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