News

The season may be over, but the Pointing community has not forgotten about those who were injured during the year. Carolyn Tanner reports with good news from several riders who have been out of action.

ISABEL TOMPSETT

There is some encouraging news regarding the progress of Isabel Tompsett, who was seriously injured in a Fakenham fall in May. She has spoken on the telephone to her great friend Sally Randell, who reported her to have come on "leaps and bounds" in the last few days.

"She's talking quite well and can remember what you tell her," said Sally. "She is sitting up for a short time, although she sleeps a tremendous amount and she still has blurred vision."

She is not yet considered ready to be transferred from Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge to Neath Port Talbot, nearer to home, but, explained Sally, she has moved twice within Addenbrooke's, both times to a less high-dependency ward as her condition improves.

JOHN MATHIAS

John Mathias, who dislocated his hip at Chepstow in mid-April, came off his crutches at the beginning of June and has returned to work for trainer Dai Rees, to whom he is assistant-cum-head lad, although he's going to have to be patient for a while longer as regards getting back on a horse.

"It was driving me mad doing nothing so I needed to go back," he admitted. "I'm on a tractor most of the day, rolling the fields and harrowing the gallops. Dai's been very good and lets me just do what I can. If there's a good time to be out, this is it, because if it was February I'd be going nuts."

John is currently spending a few days at Oaksey House in Lambourn, and like all the injured jockeys who use the facility for treatment and advice he cannot praise it highly enough. "They can't do enough for you," he stressed. "Nothing is too much trouble."

THE DAWSON FAMILY

Chris Dawson was another victim of a dislocated hip, his injury occurring at Overton at the end of March. Chris is having physiotherapy twice a week, but will not be allowed to ride for another two months. "It's never caused me a lot of pain, and I'm walking fairly sound now," he said. "My forward and backward movement is quite good but I'm struggling to lift a weight on it, so I've a way to go yet."

There is never a quiet time at Nunstainton Stud, which Chris runs with his parents Chris and Rachel, and with stallions, mares, foals and breakers to deal with, his frustration at being unable to be hands-on is evident, although the enforced inactivity is enabling him to deal with the stud's paperwork. He is also planning to attend the Northern Racing College to do his NVQ Level 3.

"The only thing I can do at home is watch, and bark out a few orders!" pointed out Chris, who is due to see his consultant again next week.

**************

Chris's younger brother John had an operation on his knee a week ago, involving the removal of a piece of his hamstring which was then attached to the knee. John, who works for John Wade, has been told that it could be four or five months before he gets back on a horse, and has therefore put on hold the possible plan that he had to turn conditional.

**************

The brothers do not have a monopoly on injury, as their younger sister Anna is still undecided as to when to undergo the operation she needs on her shoulder. Anna has just finished her ‘A' levels and is soon due to go on holiday, but she has been helping at the stud by riding out regularly.

Her dilemma about the timing of her operation rather depends on whether racing or eventing is her priority, as Chris explained. "Her event horse, who has been placed in unaffiliated classes, is on the market, so if she can sell him then she can get the op done in time to be ready for Point-to-Pointing, but if she waits until she's finished eventing this year it will be too late for her to ride next season."

STUART ROSS

Stuart Ross, whose only injury in ten years of riding was one broken collarbone, had all his bad luck rolled into one at Alpraham in April, when a fall in a false start resulted in a broken and dislocated ankle and broken bones in both his tibia and fibula.

He was in a cast for six weeks, and had a bar with seven screws inserted in the outside of his leg. This will stay in place for ever, but the three screws inside his ankle are due to come out as soon as the bone is hard enough, which Stuart is hoping to have confirmed when he visits the specialist tomorrow (Thursday). "I asked if they were taking them out because they're titanium and valuable!" he said. "They said no, but I'm sure that's the reason!"

Once that operation, and the recovery time, is over, he aims to be back in the saddle as soon as possible. "Two surgeons said I'll never ride again, and the third said I wouldn't even be able to go jogging, but I told him I wasn't interested in jogging, only riding," laughed Stuart, adding "When I told him I was a jockey he asked if I knew Gary Hanmer, with whom he's had dealings, and said Gary's words to him were exactly the same as mine!"

Like other riders in his situation Stuart is finding boredom to be the worst enemy - "Whoever thinks up these things on daytime television?" he asked - but he is going racing fairly regularly, accompanying his fiancée Michelle Mullineaux whenever she has a ride on the flat.

Back to Top