The incidence of race-day jockey falls in Australia, 2002-2006.

This research article discusses the occurrence of falls, injuries, and fatalities among jockey during horse-racing events in Australia from the period of 2002 to 2006, drawing data from stewards’ reports. The research found that despite the considerable risk faced by jockeys, injury rates in Australia are comparable to those in other countries with a significant horse-racing industry.

Research Methodology

• The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of stewards’ reports provided by the Principal Racing Authority from each state and territory in Australia. The analysis covered a period from August 2002 to July 2006.
• The primary variables of interest were the rates of jockey falls, injuries, and fatalities. Secondary measures included the phase of the race during which falls occurred and specific circumstances of each fall.
• Data collected was compared with available statistics from other countries like United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and Japan.

Results

• The research found that 3360 falls occurred from 748,367 rides during the study period. The incidence of falls were higher in jump races (5.26 per 100 rides) compared to flat races (0.42 per 100 rides).
• In flat racing, 54.6% of falls happened before the race actually started while 11.1% of falls occurred post-race. The remaining 34.3% falls during the race resulted in 61.7% of the injuries.
• In jump races, most falls happened at the jump, with 9.7% of falls needing hospitalization or resulting in jockeys being declared unfit to continue racing.
• There were five recorded fatalities during this period, all occurring in flat racing.

Conclusions

• The study concludes that being a jockey carries a considerable risk of incurring an injury or worse, fatality.
• The injury rates among Australian jockeys, while significant, are not exceptional when compared to international rates specifically in countries with significant horse racing industries.
• The study suggests a need for review and potential improvement of safety standards in the Australian racing industry to further reduce the incidence of falls and injuries among jockeys.